Pogba: My mum always knew I'd come back

The 27-year-old midfielder initially left the club in 2012, when his contract expired, and joined Italian giants Juventus, helping them to win four successive Serie A titles.

With his reputation as one of the world's best midfielders confirmed, he came back to United for a record transfer fee but it came as no surprise to those closest to the Frenchman.

Pogba spoke to podcast hosts Sam Homewood, Helen Evans and David May at the Aon Training Complex last month, before the break in football due to coronavirus.

The full interview will be released on Monday evening via Deezer and all the usual platforms.

He discusses his exit from Sir Alex Ferguson's side in detail but admits he had unfinished business with the Reds, after being immersed in the culture of the club since arriving as a 16-year-old from Le Havre in his homeland.

"My mother always told me: ‘You will go somewhere but come back’," he said. "She always said this. I was like: ‘We will see’ but you know mothers, and the things she said: ‘You will come back here, don’t worry’ and that was just after. She said: 'You will come back to Manchester, don’t worry', and I did.

“When I came back, I was really happy to come back. I left it and didn’t finish. I started something but I didn’t finish, I just went somewhere else. Obviously, coming back to where I started was, for me, why I was really happy. Now, I was ready to come as a confirmed player, not a youth player.” 

Pogba's family have clearly been huge influences on his life and career and he admits this is where he gains his self-belief from.

"My parents came from Africa to get to France and worked hard for me," he explained. "I think, as a kid, you don’t really know but [with] my mum, there used to be five in the house, and it’s hard for a mother. You have to feed them and have to be there for them and everything. She works hard to help us, you know.

“For us, so we have everything, because of her, so I have to work 10 times harder and it’s something I always have in my mind. My dad as well. To be the best, the first, to always want more.

“When you have a dream, just go for it. A dream is free. You wake up after a dream but, at least when you dream, you can dream as big as you want. You still dream and want to achieve it. What my goals are, I always want more, we can always learn at this age or 10 or even 40 or 50. You will always learn something. I love to learn new things. I love to try things and stuff.”

Look out for the full episode of Paul Pogba's UTD Podcast from Monday evening, via Deezer and all the usual podcast providers.

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