Man Utd star Pogba thanks Carragher for chirp that drove him to improve

Paul Pogba has responded to the criticism he received from Jamie Carragher last month after it was claimed he would look to leave Manchester United in January. 

Pogba’s agent Mino Raiola said in December that his client needed to leave Old Trafford. He stated the midfielder was unhappy with the Red Devils and would benefit from a fresh start.

And reacting to those comments, Sky Sports pundit Carragher ripped into the Frenchman’s United career.

“I’ve been saying this for 12 months, oh my god, he is the most overrated player I’ve ever seen in my life,” Carragher insisted.

“I don’t know where he’s going to go, who is going to have him?

“There’s no chance in the world that Real Madrid or Barcelona buy him. I’d be flabbergasted if they come in for him.

“Maybe there’s a French thing with Zidane, I don’t know, but I wouldn’t go anywhere near him.”

Since the damning review, Pogba’s form has undoubtedly picked up. He’s played in six of United’s seven league games and played the full 90 minutes in five of them.

He has also chipped in with a goal and an assist while being a key figure in his team’s charge to the top of the table.

The 27-year-old is now preparing for a trip to Anfield on Sunday. With United currently three points ahead of Liverpool, the result could have a huge say on the title race.

Carragher has already suggested that an away win would send “shockwaves” through the league.

Pogba strives to prove doubters wrong

But for Pogba it also provides the ultimate opportunity to leave the former Liverpool defender with egg on his face.

“When I play football, people are going to speak… people are going to share their opinions. People are going to say what they think, they are allowed to, free speech,” he told Sky Sports (via The Mirror) about Carragher’s assessment of him.

“It doesn’t change my way of working. It doesn’t change my way of being myself. I will always be myself, I won’t change, this is me. I cannot change. You like me, or not.

“This is me, this is Paul. That’s how I grew up, that’s how I am and I won’t change for anything.”

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The World Cup winner added that those who attempt to put him down only make him more determined to perform.

He added: “People will like me, people will dislike me. But I will always think about those people that like me, the people I make smile, that I make happy, make them improve, make them learn something.

“I would rather think about those people, than those that don’t like me, my haircut and stuff like that – they say: ‘I don’t play well’, ‘I’m not good’ and ‘I’m overrated’.

“That doesn’t matter, it’s your opinion. Keep it, because it makes me want to work even more and make the person change their mind.

“It’s good for me. It makes me work even harder. So thank you. Thanks to them always.”

Talk of Pogba departing United this month has cooled somewhat,  although there are rumours that new PSG boss Mauricio Pochettino has made him a summer target.

Read more about that here…