PAUL POGBA said he spoke to lots of stars who played under Jose Mourinho before committing to re-signing for Manchester United.
In his first interview since joining the club he left in 2012 for a fee of a world-record £89million, he revealed that the likes of Alvaro Morata and Raphael Varane, who played under the Special One when he was at Madrid, said he was “the coach for him”.
Mourinho said the France international could be "the heart of the club" for the next decade.
Pogba, who only made a handful of appearances for his boyhood club before leaving for Juventus in search of first team football for just £1.5m, said returning to Old Trafford was "destiny."
United confirmed the Frenchman's arrival in the early hours of this morning, ending the most high-profile transfer saga of the summer, signing a five-year deal with the option of a further year.
The astronomical transfer fee surpasses the £85m Real Madrid paid Spurs for Wales forward Gareth Bale in 2013.
Pogba's interview in full
Paul, welcome back to Manchester United. How do you sum up your emotions right now?
There’s no words, to be honest, there’s no words. I just came back to Carrington. It was like I’d just come back home. I just went for a holiday, looks like I went for a holiday. I’ve come back home, I’m happy and I see everyone, the same persons. It’s just a great feeling, to be honest.
I suppose it’s a funny question after what you’ve just said but why are you back here at United? What made you come back?
I think it’s destiny, I would say it’s destiny. First my mum told me I would come back here and I told her, ‘You never know, you’ll see.’ For myself as well it’s a big challenge too, just to come back to where I came from, where I grew up, where I started. I didn’t finish what I started here so I think I came here to finish it.
And of course, you have to listen to your mum…
My mum, she says ‘Your mum’s always right.’ So she was right this time, so it’s good.
And how does it feel to be the world’s most expensive footballer? That’s quite an achievement with all that you’ve already achieved on the pitch…
The thing with me is I only think about the pitch. I want to do great, I want to be one of the best, I want to win titles, I want to achieve things and that’s all; that’s why I came here, just to do this, to become one of the best and to win titles because I know this club has to win titles. This club is created to win titles, to win things, to win big things. I just focus on this and that’s it. I’m just ready to go and work on that and just kill it.
Has it been a mad summer for you, playing in the Euros at home for France and then being linked with different clubs?
Yeah. Was there a bit of sadness? Of course, because we lost the final at home. But I will say I’m happy. It was a bad thing for a good thing so I’m happy now. I’m back home and it’s something crazy, it’s really crazy, I cannot explain. I’m very, very happy, the feeling I have in my body. I can’t wait to start.
What’s it like being Paul Pogba now, compared to when you were here at 18 or 19, in this indoor arena at the Academy?
Well, I was younger. Now I’m taller and bigger (laughs). It’s just like… as I told you… it looks like I went for a holiday and I came back home. I was meant to come back here. I feel this. I always had this United thing in my heart and that’s why I came back. I’m happy, just happy.
How have you changed as a player since you were here at United the first time around? What have you learned about your game, about yourself? How are you different?
I’m more experienced, I’ve won titles at Juventus. I’ve been playing with big players like when I started at Man United, of course. I came back. I’ve not come back from the Academy now; I went to play somewhere else and I came back, I would say, as a person, as an adult. I would say with experience, with more games, so I think that’s the difference.
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.
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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 them happy and feel like we can win the league. That’s why I came here.
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