Featured Image Credit: MME/YouTube & Alamy
Topics: Football, Paul Pogba, Manchester United, Premier League, Juventus, Serie A
Rory O'Callaghan
Topics: Football, Paul Pogba, Manchester United, Premier League, Juventus, Serie A
Paul Pogba has explained why he chose to leave Manchester United last summer in a brutally honest interview one year after his acrimonious departure from Old Trafford.
Pogba, 30, opted to rejoin Juventus on a free transfer after rejecting the offer of a new £300,000-a-week contract at United.
He has endured a nightmare first season back in Italy, managing only 10 appearances for Juventus due to his ongoing injury problems.
Pogba had to undergo meniscus surgery in September which forced him to miss the majority of the campaign, including the World Cup in Qatar.
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He returned to action in March but then suffered another muscle injury while practising free-kicks in training, which kept him out for a number of weeks.
After making another return in May, Pogba then suffered a thigh injury just 25 minutes into his first start for Juventus in his second spell at the club.
To make matters worse for Pogba, he also experienced difficulties away from the pitch – with the midfielder the target of an alleged blackmail plot involving his brother.
Pogba says he has no regrets about rejoining Juventus from Manchester United – claiming he felt no love at the English club after re-signing for them in a £89m move from the Turin club in 2016.
Reflecting on his move from United's academy to Juventus in 2012, Pogba told French outlet Views: "When I left Manchester, I was young. And when you're young, you want to prove something.
"I came to Juve, to a fairly young Italian club, it was a big test for me. But I immediately saw the love of the supporters, I saw the love of the club. I really liked how they worked and learned a lot.
"I went back to Manchester because I hadn't finished my work there. I said to myself 'I really want to play with the A's [the first team]'. I did it and it was a goal achieved for me. We have already won, not the Premier League, but titles that Manchester have not won for a long time.
"And I came back to Juve, why? Because it's really the club that helped me push myself. And really the love from the fans, the love from the club that I get, I didn't get that in Manchester.
"I was quite surprised when I came back to England, already with the transfer I was given a label. It was quite sad.
"But it's two clubs that I really love, that made me grow and I can only say thank you to these two clubs. Maybe I could have gone to other clubs, but it was my heart that chose those clubs and I often follow my heart."