Paul Pogba is a "really hard worker", according to Eric Bailly, who insists that only people that don't know that Manchester United star say he doesn't care about the club.
Pogba has been the subject of constant criticism throughout his second spell at Old Trafford, with it suggested that the Frenchman doesn't give his all to the Red Devils' cause amid his struggles for form and fitness.
The 27-year-old has also done little to silence rumours of a potential move away from Manchester, amid reported interest from Real Madrid and his former club Juventus, but Bailly has now come out to defend his team-mate's attitude.
What was said?
"Paul Pogba is always happy, he portrays one image, and if you don't know him you'd say that this guy doesn't care, he's not concentrating or fixing on what he needs to do," Bailly told European football journalist Guillem Balague's official YouTube channel. "But he's not like that at all.
"He's very professional and works really hard. People look and say he doesn't care, but that's just not true for me. You've got to know him to really see what type of person he is.
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"Above everything, he is a really hard worker, a professional player."
Pogba's record at Man Utd
Pogba only made three first-team appearances during his first stint with the Red Devils before he left for Juventus in 2012.
The World Cup winner emerged as one of the top midfielders in Europe during his four-year stay at the Allianz Stadium before United paid a then-world record transfer fee of £89 million ($126m) to bring him back to Old Trafford.
Pogba has since taken his tally of appearances for the club to 192 across all competitions, recording 36 goals and 36 assists along the way.
The France international has also picked up Europa League and League Cup winners' medals, but hasn't yet come close to helping the club end their wait for Premier League or Champions League glory.
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How has Pogba performed this season?
An ankle issue and a bout of coronavirus saw Pogba miss a month of action in the first half of the 2020-21 campaign, but he returned at the end of November and began showing exactly why United invested so much money in his talents back in 2016.
He scored spectacular winning goals against Fulham and Burnley as the Red Devils rose to the Premier League summit in early January, combining well with Bruno Fernandes in the final third while also helping to break up play in the middle of the park.
However, Pogba has been absent since limping out of a 3-3 draw with Everton on February 6, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer subsequently revealing that the playmaker will spend at least another "few weeks" on the sidelines.
