Paul Pogba has finally responded to Graeme Souness’s criticism of the Manchester United midfielder by saying he does not know who the former Liverpool and Scotland captain is.
Souness has long questioned Pogba’s attitude, doing so even during the Frenchman’s injury layoff last month. Yet Pogba claims to be nonplussed by the Sky Sports pundit.
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“I didn’t even know who he was, really,” the 27-year-old told the United podcast. “I heard he was a great player and stuff like that. I know the face but [not] the name. Like I said I’m not someone that watches a lot of [punditry], I watch a lot of football but I don’t stay after the game to listen to what they say about why they did this or why they did that. I like to focus on football.”
In a glittering playing career Souness won three European Cups, five championships and three League Cups at Liverpool, and also won trophies at Sampdoria and Rangers. He responded to Pogba on Sports News.
“I’m happy with that,” he said. “The oldest saying in football comes to mind: ‘Put your medals on the table.’ I’ve got a big table.” Pogba, though, is a World Cup winner with France, having scored in the 2018 final, a trophy Souness did not win.
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The Frenchman has not featured since United’s Boxing Day victory over Newcastle at Old Trafford because of an ankle injury and also spoke more generally about the criticism he receives. “I guess they miss me, I don’t know? I’m not someone that looks always at Sky Sports News,” Pogba said. “When you know football, you don’t need someone to tell you what’s happening. One day maybe I will meet them [the critics] and ask them because I really want to know why. I am doing my recovery, I can be somewhere else and I hear something but I’m just doing my recovery, you know?
“If they want to speak they are allowed to speak, it’s their job to speak. I am used to it now. I am really used to it, it doesn’t bother me. It’s good to hear good stuff instead of bad stuff but when you play football you know yourself. It’s what your manager and teammates want, the rest is just talk. It’s selling stuff I think.”
