Pogba responds in best way possible to losing Man Utd vice-captaincy

Paul Pogba has insisted he does not need to wear the captain’s armband at Manchester United to prove himself an influential figure on the dressing room.

The France midfielder has been at loggerheads with Jose Mourinho for several months – and the tension appeared to reach breaking point when Pogba was publicly told he would never captain United again by his manager due to concerns about his attitude.

However, Pogba appeared to rise above any rows by putting in a shift as United recovered from 2-0 down to beat Newcastle 3-2 on Saturday evening – with some reports suggesting a tactical switch suggested to Mourinho by the Frenchman was key to their thrilling comeback.

And Pogba, speaking to the French media, insisted he does not need to physically don the captain’s armband to exert his influence around the dressing room at Old Trafford.

“I’ve never played in the France team to be captain, being here is already a big thing for me,” Pogba told AFP. “You don’t have to be captain in order to speak, a leader is not someone who has the armband.

“As a leader you can talk on the pitch but I’ve seen leaders who didn’t necessarily talk.”

Meanwhile, Pogba has received some timely words of advice from compatriot Robert Pires on how to deal with his ongoing dispute with Mourinho.

 

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