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Inside Paul Pogba's sad decline – from Man Utd's most expensive star to doping violation
In 2016, after returning to Manchester United, Paul Pogba seemed to have the world at his feet - eight years later the disastrous flop has been banned from football for four years
Paul Pogba's return to Manchester United was a moment in time for the Red Devils.
The Frenchman, now 30, was hailed as a returning hero after leaving Old Trafford to find his feet at Juventus. Pogba smashed the Premier League record for his transfer fee - and, to this day, he remains United's most expensive player in history.
However, six years after the fanfare of his all-conquering return, Pogba left without so much of a whimper. The Frenchman silently left on a free transfer, back to Turin, where he might have played out the final games of his footballing career.
"Sometimes," Pogba said last summer, "I don’t want to have money any more. I just don’t want to play any more. I just want to be with normal people, so they will love me for me – not for the fame, not for the money. Sometimes it’s tough."
The following day, during an innocuous Serie A clash with perennial mid-table side Udinese, Pogba would provide a positive test for elevated levels of testosterone.
It almost seems strange that the turning point in Pogba's career started when Jose Mourinho announced to the Old Trafford crowd they had agreed a deal to re-sign Pogba. He was 23, at the time, had won four Serie A titles and was named young player of the tournament at the 2014 World Cup.
Pogba's problems at United started almost instantly. Mourinho couldn't figure out how to use the Frenchman - he was wasted too deep, was often lost going box-to-box, and didn't quite have the technical abilities to play as a No.10.
At Old Trafford, managers came and went - and so too did midfield partners, each hoping to "unlock" the Frenchmen with the supreme talents.
United fans quickly looked on in envy at the French national team, where Pogba often looked unplayable. He was a centre-piece as they conquered the world in Russia, but quickly rescinded into his shell when back in Manchester.
Then, three years into his spell, the injuries started. A persistent ankle problem curtailed his 2019/20 season, there was the also the hamstring struggles in 2021 and then knee surgery in 2022. Since the summer of 2019, Pogba has only started 51 league games.
Pogba resembled more and more a vanity project gone wrong for the Red Devils. And his stay at United was almost summed up in one performance against Liverpool in October 2021.
The Frenchman was introduced by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at half-time, but he lasted just 15 minutes after he saw red for a horror challenge on Liverpool midfielder Naby Kieta.
Pogba could be seen smiling as referee Anthony Taylor flashed the red card - United went onto lose the game against their biggest rivals 5-0.
He almost snuck out the backdoor at Old Trafford the following summer - leaving Manchester on a free for the second time in his career. A decade beforehand, Pogba had reignited his career in Turin, however, that wouldn't happen a second time
Pogba struggled with injuries during his first season back at the Old Lady. There were off the field issues too, Pogba's brother, Mathias, released a video accusing him of hiring a marabout, a west African holy man, to place a curse on Kylian Mbappe.
The Frenchman acknowledged he had consulted a marabout, but only for help with his continual injuries. He said: "Money changes people. It can break up a family. It can create a war."
Pogba was returning to full fitness when he tested positive - and, again, the Frenchman finds himself at a crossroads.
Pogba will be 34-years-old when his ban expires in 2028 - a career in professional football following his ban seems unlikely.
“Football is very beautiful, but it’s cruel,” Pogba admitted last summer. “People can forget you. You can do something great; the next day, you’re nobody."
Daily Star Sunday
In 2016, after returning to Manchester United, Paul Pogba seemed to have the world at his feet - eight years later the disastrous flop has been banned from football for four years
Paul Pogba's return to Manchester United was a moment in time for the Red Devils.
The Frenchman, now 30, was hailed as a returning hero after leaving Old Trafford to find his feet at Juventus. Pogba smashed the Premier League record for his transfer fee - and, to this day, he remains United's most expensive player in history.
However, six years after the fanfare of his all-conquering return, Pogba left without so much of a whimper. The Frenchman silently left on a free transfer, back to Turin, where he might have played out the final games of his footballing career.
"Sometimes," Pogba said last summer, "I don’t want to have money any more. I just don’t want to play any more. I just want to be with normal people, so they will love me for me – not for the fame, not for the money. Sometimes it’s tough."
The following day, during an innocuous Serie A clash with perennial mid-table side Udinese, Pogba would provide a positive test for elevated levels of testosterone.
It almost seems strange that the turning point in Pogba's career started when Jose Mourinho announced to the Old Trafford crowd they had agreed a deal to re-sign Pogba. He was 23, at the time, had won four Serie A titles and was named young player of the tournament at the 2014 World Cup.
Pogba's problems at United started almost instantly. Mourinho couldn't figure out how to use the Frenchman - he was wasted too deep, was often lost going box-to-box, and didn't quite have the technical abilities to play as a No.10.
At Old Trafford, managers came and went - and so too did midfield partners, each hoping to "unlock" the Frenchmen with the supreme talents.
United fans quickly looked on in envy at the French national team, where Pogba often looked unplayable. He was a centre-piece as they conquered the world in Russia, but quickly rescinded into his shell when back in Manchester.
Then, three years into his spell, the injuries started. A persistent ankle problem curtailed his 2019/20 season, there was the also the hamstring struggles in 2021 and then knee surgery in 2022. Since the summer of 2019, Pogba has only started 51 league games.
Pogba resembled more and more a vanity project gone wrong for the Red Devils. And his stay at United was almost summed up in one performance against Liverpool in October 2021.
The Frenchman was introduced by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at half-time, but he lasted just 15 minutes after he saw red for a horror challenge on Liverpool midfielder Naby Kieta.
Pogba could be seen smiling as referee Anthony Taylor flashed the red card - United went onto lose the game against their biggest rivals 5-0.
He almost snuck out the backdoor at Old Trafford the following summer - leaving Manchester on a free for the second time in his career. A decade beforehand, Pogba had reignited his career in Turin, however, that wouldn't happen a second time
Pogba struggled with injuries during his first season back at the Old Lady. There were off the field issues too, Pogba's brother, Mathias, released a video accusing him of hiring a marabout, a west African holy man, to place a curse on Kylian Mbappe.
The Frenchman acknowledged he had consulted a marabout, but only for help with his continual injuries. He said: "Money changes people. It can break up a family. It can create a war."
Pogba was returning to full fitness when he tested positive - and, again, the Frenchman finds himself at a crossroads.
Pogba will be 34-years-old when his ban expires in 2028 - a career in professional football following his ban seems unlikely.
“Football is very beautiful, but it’s cruel,” Pogba admitted last summer. “People can forget you. You can do something great; the next day, you’re nobody."
Daily Star Sunday