Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba has explained how his price tag has made it harder for him to be viewed as a success at Old Trafford.
The France international has had a pretty decent career so far by most people’s standards, winning a number of titles with former club Juventus, the World Cup with his country last summer, as well as a League Cup and Europa League with United.
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And yet, Pogba is one of the most harshly criticised players in the Premier League, with pundits so often blaming him for not doing enough in a number of areas, expecting him to be a defensive midfielder, attacking midfielder, leader and flair player all in one.
The 26-year-old is also often a target because of his fashion or social media antics, but the player himself believes the fee United paid Juventus for him has been the key factor in that.
Speaking to the LifeTimes podcast, Pogba discussed how the deal had essentially made him a different player, at least in the way he’s perceived by others.
“I become another player because of the transfer,” he said.
“Because it was the biggest transfer of history at the time, you get judged differently. You expect more because of the price tag.
“A good game becomes a normal game, a top game will be a good game.”
He went on to defend his style, insisting he’s just being himself on and off the pitch and he doesn’t feel it’s hurt his career so far.
“I always play like that and, thank God, I won the World Cup like that,” he said.
“Body language, haircut, all these things is just to speak.
“Since I was a kid I play like this. It’s not a problem when we win. Only when we lose or if I have a bad performance it becomes a problem.”