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Paul Pogba has spoken publicly for the first time since his departure from Manchester United and said he is looking forward to “enjoying” himself at his next club.
Last week, United announced that Pogba would leave the club for a second time on a free transfer after his contract expires at the end of June.
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Sources have told ESPN that the midfielder is set to return to Juventus and Pogba said he wants enjoy his football again in the future.
“I just want the best for me,” he told Uninterrupted on Tuesday. “I’m thinking, putting everything together, taking my time, and I’m just looking for the best, I want to play football, be myself always, and enjoy what I do.
“I need to enjoy what I do because otherwise I cannot perform well. I don’t want to be thinking negatively. We can be losing games, trophies but you have to be happy and enjoy yourself — that’s what I’m looking for.”
Pogba won three trophies during his second stint at Old Trafford but struggled to perform on a consistent basis and endured a difficult relationship with United supporters, who booed him against Norwich City and Liverpool last season.
The France international hinted that this treatment had a negative impact on him and his performances for the club.
“Everybody wants to feel loved, everyone needs that in your soul to feel appreciated,” he added. “Everything you do even when you grow up, when you do a good thing you like to hear: ‘Well done, nice.’
“It’s always been like that, even adults need that. It’s always good to feel the work you do is appreciated that you’re doing well that people are happy with yourself.
“I think people around make a huge difference because they cheer you up or they can bring you down — it can be both — so you need them to bring you up.
“Sometimes you just don’t feel yourself, that can happen, just someone saying: ‘It’s alright, it’s okay,’ even the people that were on the bench they give you a push and it’s important, important to feel it from your teammates because you can bring it up also.
“I like to talk to the people and be a leader but even a leader sometimes needs his teammates to be encouraged, they need to bring him up.
“Being a leader it’s helping your teammates to the biggest potential, we can fight but it has to be for the good of the player, the good of the team and he brings the level up, brings the positive energy, people trust him, he trusts the people.”