Manchester United

Paul Pogba: 'I want to play further forward for Manchester United'

By Daniel Lewis, Senior Reporter | 11 October 2016

Paul Pogba admits that he would like to play in a more advanced midfield role at Old Trafford, saying that it 'costs him' when being made to play defensively.

Paul Pogba has admitted that he is happy to adapt to whatever position he is fielded in at Manchester United, but has told manager Jose Mourinho that he favours a more advanced midfield role.

The France international has yet to truly hit top gear at Old Trafford since making an £89m switch from Juventus in the summer, directly contributing to just one goal in six league outings.

Fresh on the back of scoring a fine long-range strike against the Netherlands on Monday evening, Pogba revealed that he performs better when given the chance to create openings in attacking zones.

"I try to adapt," he is quoted as saying by the Manchester Evening News. "I am a player who would rather go forward. The coach gave me instructions, I try to follow them.

"I have to retrieve balls and make defensive efforts. It cost me a bit to play differently, much like [Andrea] Pirlo. I have to play, be there to recover and play more for the team."

Pogba, who has been fielded in a defensive-midfield two so far this term, came through France's international double-header unscathed and is therefore in line to start United's Premier League meeting with rivals Liverpool next Monday at Anfield.