Manchester United confirmed it has broken the world transfer record to re-sign Pogba for a fee of £89million.
United released the first part of Pogba’s interview with in-house channel MUTV. In it Paul Pogba talks about his former days at Old Trafford, who he spoke to about returning and his message for the fans…
What thoughts come into your head when you think back to the Under 18s here, winning the Youth Cup and breaking into the first team?
When I first came, I remember when I was at school at the academy. They used to come and drop us. I had this picture of my training. I saw Warren Joyce, I always remember the training I had with him, the changing room, the canteen where we eat, just the same and I was thinking about it before. It’s like a picture, I had my picture… it’s just something I cannot explain, it’s crazy. I just feel happy. There’s no words, to be honest, there’s no words. Just happiness. And I just can’t wait to start playing with my new team. It doesn’t look like it’s my new team, it’s just like I left this team and now I’ve come back. It’s just a great feeling to be honest.
We’ve missed you here on MUTV – we enjoyed having you here the first time. How did your experiences of being on MUTV regularly set up you?
I started on MUTV. My first interview was here at United. So now I come back and feel like I’m doing my old interview – I’m just taller, bigger, older. And I’m just enjoying it.
You’re signing for a very successful manager with a big personality, so how important was he in your decision to come here?
First of all, I spoke with a lot of players [who played under him] when he was at Madrid – I spoke with [Alvaro] Morata, [Raphael] Varane – and they all told me he’s the coach for me; he will make me improve a lot and make me work harder. I feel this. I spoke with him a few times and he gave me energy, he gave me positivity. So I was thinking ‘why not?’ I’m sure he can make me improve and make me a better player and a better person.
It’s been a big journey for you over the last six or seven years but you’re still very young in a footballing sense, so what do you feel you can you achieve in your career?
First of all, win the league for the first time with United, because I hadn’t won the league when I left. The Champions League, of course, and personally, one of my dreams is to win the Ballon d’Or. That will come with time hopefully but first the Premier League – I’ve never done it.
This move means you’re reunited with people like Jesse Lingard, who you played with in the FA Youth Cup-winning team. Have you kept in touch with those guys?
Always we kept talking – I’ve just kept in touch with him. I’m very happy for him and what he’s doing, very proud of him, because he just keeps it up. I know he went on loan, he came back, he went on loan again, but it was just Jesse Lingard scoring goals, as always. So I’m very happy for him. I see Sam Johnstone too, and Will Keane and some other players who went away. We just keep in touch and I’m very happy for them.
The fans are excited to have you here, so do you have a message for them?
I’m back and I can’t wait to make them happy, to show them that I’m still Paul Pogba but in a different way, and that I came here not to joke but to make the
