Former Liverpool midfielder and television pundit Graeme Souness has strongly criticised Paul Pogba’s four-year ban from football.
Souness, who has frequently expressed his disapproval of Pogba during his tenure as a television pundit, has once again voiced his opinion on the matter.
The former Liverpool star, who achieved significant success in his playing career with five league titles and three European Cups, has reiterated his stance on the situation involving the former Manchester United midfielder, who is currently sidelined due to a four-year ban for doping violations.
The told the Telegraph: “With Pogba, I was frustrated with him because I saw someone who had all that talent, all that physical prowess that you see in a magnificent athlete, but had a stinking attitude. I could talk now for 10 minutes on it but the bottom line is, he didn’t work hard enough.
The worst thing that could have happened to him was winning the World Cup as a young man. That put him firmly in a great, big, comfy armchair. He was no longer up for doing the hard yards, he thought it was all about him doing clever, eye-catching things on the football pitch.
“Every time I played, I had one thought in my head: I’m going to be better than the guy I’m playing against. I’m going to have a better day than he does. And the starting point for that is working harder than him. I don’t think Paul Pogba ever had that attitude. It was all about showing how clever and cute I can be. It would have been very easy to play against him because he never worked on you. He didn’t stop you from playing.
“I take no pleasure in what has happened to him because he was an extremely talented young man who had everything to be remembered as one of the great midfield players in world football. But he won’t be remembered for that, unfortunately. He will be remembered for being banned for drugs and being a near-miss.”
It remains uncertain whether Pogba will return to the field, considering he will be nearly 34 years old when his ban concludes. However, he plans to appeal the decision in the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Pogba, known for his achievements such as winning the World Cup with France in 2018 and securing titles in Serie A with Juventus and the Europa League with Manchester United, faces the possibility of ending his career in disgrace due to the lengthy ban.
Many believe that, despite his exceptional talent, Pogba has failed to reach his full potential. Recently, he has spoken openly about his challenges, expressing that he has experienced significant personal growth within a year.
There’s still hope for Pogba’s future in football, as France manager Didier Deschamps has had discussions with him and hopes to see him return to the pitch eventually.