Paul Pogba

Early career

Pogba began his football career at the age of six playing for US Roissy-en-Brie, a few miles south of his hometown. He spent seven seasons at the club before joining US Torcy, where he served as captain of the club's under-13 team. After one season with Torcy, Pogba joined professional club Le Havre. In his second season at the club, Pogba captained its under-16 team to the final phase of its domestic league, the Championnat National des 16 ans. Le Havre finished second to Lens in the final group phase, finishing ahead of the likes of Lyon and Nancy. Pogba also established himself as a youth international for his country.

Manchester United

Transfer

On 31 July 2009, Pogba announced that he was departing Le Havre to join the youth academy of Manchester United in England. The move surprised his parent club, as it allegedly had a "non-solicitation agreement" with Pogba, which was agreed to by not only the player but also his parents in 2006. The agreement, which was in place until the end of the 2009–10 season, allowed Le Havre to sign Pogba to an aspirant (youth) contract once the player met specific age and scholarship requirements. On 1 August, Le Havre released an official statement on its website criticising Manchester United and the Pogba family. Le Havre also announced its intent to ask FIFA to probe the situation. In response to Le Havre's accusations, Manchester United threatened to sue the club, while Pogba denied he was…

Youth

Pogba began his international career for France with the national youth football team. Prior to his international debut, Pogba was named captain of the under-16 team by coach Guy Ferrier. He made his youth international debut on 23 September 2008 in the team's opening match of the campaign against Wales in Llanelli. France won the match 4–2. Under Pogba's leadership, the team recorded impressive victories over Uruguay and Italy in the Tournoi du Val-de-Marne and defeated the Republic of Ireland by an aggregate score of 8–2 over the course of two matches. On 31 January 2009, he scored his first youth international goal in the 2009 Aegean Cup Final against Norway. The goal gave France a 1–0 lead and the team won the match 2–1 to win the tournament. He was a part of the team that played at the 2010 UEFA European Under-17 Championship scoring both of his goals with the team at the tournament. He scored the only goal in the team's 1–0 victory over Portugal in the group stage and netted his second in the team's 2–1 loss to England in the semi-finals. Following the departure of Ferrier as the team's youth international coach, Pogba was re-instated as captain at his age level by new coach Pierre Mankowski. Mankowski had previously been the assistant manager of the senior national team under the reign of Raymond Domenech. Pogba made his under-18 debut on 27 October 2010 at the Tournio de Limoges against Greece in a 4–1 victory. On 24 March 2011, Pogba scored his first…

Pogba primarily plays as a central midfielder and can also play as a deep-lying playmaker or as an attacking midfielder. He can also play as an offensive-minded central midfielder that often drifts out wide, known as the "mezzala" role in Italy. During his time in Italy, he gained the nicknames Il Polpo Paul ("Paul the Octopus") for his long legs that look like tentacles and "Pogboom" for his explosive pace and energy on the pitch. A quick, hardworking, and physically strong player, he possesses good aerial abilities, good passing, and good vision. He is also known for his powerful and accurate shots from distance. He is also known for his ability to make forward runs from deeper areas of the pitch. Pogba was described by the Manchester United website as a "powerful, skilful, and creative" player who has "an eye for goal and a penchant for the spectacular." In 2018, an Italian writer for OneFootball said, "Pogba was a unique player—the best Serie A had seen in the last ten years". Particularly regarding Pogba's legacy with the French national team, FourFourTwo wrote, "He wasn't just a 'moments player' for Les Bleus: he was the real deal." The publication further argued that, alongside Kanté, "he would dictate games, with Kante beside him for the dirty work," and that he "would thrive on the biggest stages," ultimately helping to "define his nation's footballing identity for a while." Pogba has been widely praised throughout his career by managers and players. Mourinho…

Paul Labile Pogba was born on 15 March 1993 in Lagny-sur-Marne, Seine-et-Marne, France, to Guinean parents. He has two older brothers who are twins – Florentin Pogba and Mathias Pogba – born in Guinea, who are also footballers and play for the Guinean national team. Florentin last played as a defender for ATK Mohun Bagan while Mathias last played as a forward for ASM Belfort. As a child, Pogba was a fan of Arsenal.