Pogba denies disrespecting Sir Alex Ferguson following Juventus move

Aug 21, 2012 4:40:00 PM

The highly rated midfielder departed Manchester United to join the Serie A giants over the summer but has refuted suggestions that he undermined his former boss

Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba has denied disrespecting Sir Alex Ferguson following his acrimonious summer exit from Manchester United.

The highly rated Frenchman joined the Serie A outfit after snubbing a new contract at Old Trafford, prompting the Scot to claim that he was "quite happy that [Pogba's] away from [the club] anyway".

However, the 19-year-old has hit back, revealing that he left the Premier League side after growing frustrated at a lack of first-team opportunities.


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"I understand that people were surprised that I refused to extend my contract with Manchester United," Pogba told L'Equipe. "But Manchester United and Juventus are the same - they are two great clubs.

"There were things which we [Pogba and Manchester United] did not agree on but I don’t regret anything. I learned a lot there.

"The coach [Ferguson] trusted me, but he didn't play me, he said I was too young. He told me 'Your time will come', but it didn’t come. Despite the fact that he is the boss, my goal was to play.

"He said I disrespected him. I do not know why he said that. A 19-year-old who says no [to him], maybe he was stuck. But for me, it will not change anything. This is not to say that I will speak ill of Manchester. I love this club.

"I didn't realise that at 19 years old, I'm playing at one of the biggest clubs in Europe. I'm still young. I have not yet played 60 matches in any league or the Champions League. For now I am nothing. It is simply a chance for me to play in a big club."

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