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Rio Ferdinand Calls Out Graeme Souness For Not Praising Paul Pogba After Four Assists Vs Leeds United

Rio Ferdinand Calls Out Graeme Souness For Not Praising Paul Pogba After Four Assists Vs Leeds United

Rio Ferdinand suggested that Graeme Souness' comments were not "articulated" after the Sky Sports pundit's remarks on Paul Pogba's assists.

Adnan Riaz

Adnan Riaz

Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand has called out Graeme Souness for not putting his "feelings" aside and praising Paul Pogba for his stunning four-assist haul.

Pogba delivered a show-stealing performance in United's 5-1 demolition of Leeds United at Old Trafford on Saturday.

The 28-year-old French midfielder became the first United player to provide four or more assists in a single Premier League match.

And Pogba became only the seventh player in Premier League history to register four or more assists in a Premier League match.

Souness was more impressed with Mason Greenwood's contribution against Leeds, saying that the United starlet was the "star of the show."

When fellow Sky Sports pundit Micah Richards pointed to Pogba's assists, Liverpool legend Souness snubbed praise for the United midfielder and responded: "We expect that from a £100million man."

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Ferdinand did attempt to defend Souness by claiming that the Sky Sports pundit might not have fully "articulated" his comments on Pogba.

Speaking on Rio Ferdinand Presents FIVE, he said: "I don't think Graeme Souness articulated it but I believe he thinks [about Pogba's achievement]: let's not get out of our pram about this, let's not go overboard, let me see this for the next three months, I want consistency.

"I think that's where Souness' mind is at with Paul Pogba. If we're being honest, consistency is probably one of the factors that goes against Paul Pogba in his Man United career."

PA

However, Ferdinand pulled no punches towards Souness over Pogba's four-assist haul against Leeds, saying a feat like that "doesn't happen often."

The 42-year-old BT Sport pundit said: "When a man produces four assists on day one of the season, you've got to put your feelings to one side and say, 'You know what, well played.' Because it doesn't happen often."

Souness and Richards also clashed in a heated debate on live TV over Pogba's treatment over his United future compared to Harry Kane's treatment at Tottenham.

Pogba's future at Old Trafford has been in doubt ahead of his current United deal expiring in 2022.

PA

Ferdinand believes that the 2018 World Cup winner, who's been linked with Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain, would look back with regret if he "walked out" of United without winning the Premier League or Champions League.

"I think if he smells success and a winning period, there's something that says to me that he'll go, 'I want to be a part of it,'" he said.

"That's all he's come [back] for. When I speak to Paul, all he talks about is wanting to win. He's got a burning desire to do that for Man United. He grew up [at United] as a kid, he wants to be known as one of the guys that was part of a winning team.

"If he walked out of Man United, I know for a fact that Paul Pogba would look back and go, '[I] didn't win the Premier League, didn't win the Champions League. That's not what I came back for.' There would be unfinished business."

Featured Image Credit: Rio Ferdinand Presents FIVE/Football Daily/PA

Topics: Paul Pogba, Football, Manchester United, Premier League, England, Rio Ferdinand, Graeme Souness