Despite also being the subject of some very weight expectations due to his record-breaking transfer fee, Pogba was also quick to dismiss any suggestions that the figure would loom over him. “It is your body and I have been training on my holidays”. Nearly five years on from the day he was expecting to make his first Old Trafford start, he does so as the final piece of what Jose Mourinho hopes will be a title-winning jigsaw.
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Rooney started and scored in United’s opening game of the Premier League season but Parker is adamant the striker can not rely on his reputation alone and needs to prove himself all over again.
“Jose has good experience, so he can not be disturbed by this rumour but I am just surprised to hear this before the game, two days before the match”.
Pogba first donned a United first-team shirt when he came on as a half-time substitute for Ryan Giggs in a 3-0 League Cup win over Leeds United in front of 31,031 people at Elland Road in September 2011.
“But Jose is our captain and I’m sure he will be completely ready for this game”.
“My ambition is always be the number one and be the best”, he continued. I feel that Pogba is the exact type of midfielder we have been missing, he is somebody who will drive forward with the ball and run at defenders with an impressive bit of flair, for somebody of his height. He said: “I am just happy to play football”.
“I don’t prepare my team to play against one player”. “If he plays behind Ibrahimovic that puts Wayne Rooney in doubt and Rooney has to play-not that he deserves a place, but they have to play him”.
Parker, who won two league titles with the Red Devils, also claims the club are “embarrassed” to have spent so much to bring back Pogba.
For former United defender Gary Neville, having both players on board is crucial to restoring the club to the summit of English football after several seasons in the wilderness.
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Meanwhile, the club have confirmed that Jesse Lingard could feature on Friday after missing the Bournemouth win with a minor injury, while Chris Smalling is free to play after serving a suspension.
