Oft-maligned star Paul Pogba, the badly misunderstood \u2018bad boy\u2019 of Manchester United, has finally fired a broadside at his strongest critic Graeme Souness while claiming he ‘didn\u2019t even know who’ the Liverpool\u00a0legend was.<\/p>\n
Souness, in his role as a pundit for Sky Sports and The Times, is widely known to be a regular and vocal critic of Pogba, even to the extent of recently suggesting that the World Cup winner would be easy to play against, besides accusing him of not taking his injury rehabilitation seriously.<\/p>\n
When queried on Souness’ frequent criticism, the France national revealed he initially didn’t know who the former Reds captain was, insisting he prefers to focus on playing the game instead.<\/p>\n
“I didn\u2019t even know who [Souness]\u00a0was,” Pogba said to UTD Podcast.<\/p>\n
“I heard he was a great player and stuff like that. I don’t know the face but the name [I do].<\/p>\n
“Like I said I\u2019m not someone that watches a lot of [punditry], I watch a lot of football but I don\u2019t stay after the game to listen to what they say about \u2018Why they did this\u2019 or \u2018why they did that\u2019.<\/p>\n
“I like to focus on football.”<\/p>\n
Pogba also discussed his view of criticism in general, adding that he tries not to pay attention to what others have to say.<\/p>\n
\u2018I guess they miss me, I don\u2019t know? I\u2019m not someone that looks at always at Sky News,” he said.<\/p>\n
“After the games, when I watch it again I watch the game, not the comments. When you know football, you don\u2019t need someone to tell you what\u2019s happening.<\/p>\n
“Obviously what I hear when people are saying \u2018Paul is doing this\u2026Paul\u2026Paul\u2019 I don\u2019t know. \u2018One day maybe I will meet them [the critics] and ask them because I really want to know why.<\/p>\n
“I am doing my recovery, I can be somewhere else and I hear something but I\u2019m just doing my recovery, you know?\u2019 If they want to speak they are allowed to speak, it\u2019s their job to speak.<\/p>\n
“I am used to it now. I am really used to it, it doesn\u2019t bother me. It\u2019s good to hear good stuff instead of bad stuff but when you play football, you know yourself. It\u2019s what your manager and team-mates want, the rest is just talk. It\u2019s selling stuff I think.”<\/p>\n
Pogba has been consistently plagued by an ankle injury for most of the season, having made all of only eight appearances in all competitions totalling a measly 71 minutes since the end of September.<\/p>\n
The talented 27-year-old was actually about to make a return to the Red Devils first team when the coronavirus pandemic ground football to a temporary halt, with the League\u2019s return of season date in the balance.<\/p>\n
The mercurial Pogba has been circulating in the air waves for being consistently linked with his oft-claimed desire to move to either Real Madrid or Juventus amid claims he was pining for a new challenge in the summer.<\/p>\n
Pogba\u2019s incorrigible agent Mino Raiola, seen to be the provocateur fanning the flames, has also been no less vocal in making his desire public about wanting his charge to resume his career away from Old Trafford before the sun begins to set on the United player.<\/p>\n
Pogba has played 143 times for United in his second return to the club, scoring 31 goals and creating a further 31, after spending\u00a0four successful years with Juventus. His contract expires in June 2021 with an option to extend for a further 12 months.<\/p>\n
His best season came for the Red Devils last term with his contribution of 13 goals and nine assists in the league despite playing a deeper midfield role for the majority of the season.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"