Former Man Utd star Paul Pogba impressed by ex-Liverpool ace who he 'needs to learn from'

Paul Pogba has said that he needs to take a leaf out of former Liverpool star Takumi Minamino's book having been thoroughly impressed by the Japanese international since his move to AS Monaco. The Frenchman is still waiting to make his debut for the Ligue 1 side after enduring a challenging three-year spell.

The midfielder is on a mission to revive his career in France, following a series of injuries, a terminated contract with Juventus and an 18-month doping ban since his departure from Manchester United. His final season at Old Trafford in 2021/22 was marred by injuries, with his last appearance for the Red Devils ending prematurely during their 4-0 loss to Liverpool at Anfield.

Pogba completed a free transfer back to Juventus at the end of the season, but his injury troubles persisted. He was later provisionally suspended from playing due to a failed drug test in September 2023.

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Juventus terminated Pogba's contract last November - despite him only making 12 appearances for the club - even though Pogba successfully appealed his four-year doping suspension after being found guilty of taking the banned substance DHEA.

The ban was reduced to 18 months in October 2024, allowing him to start training and playing again from January 2025 and March 2025, respectively. Pogba had to wait until June to secure a new club, eventually signing a two-year contract with Monaco.

"Finally the nightmare is over. I can look forward to the day when I can follow my dreams again," Pogba said in a statement after his ban was reduced.

"I always stated that I never knowingly breached World Anti-Doping Agency regulations when I took a nutritional supplement prescribed to me by a doctor, which does not affect or enhance the performance of male athletes.

"I play with integrity and, although I must accept that this is a strict liability offence, I want to place on record my thanks to the Court of Arbitration for Sport's judges who heard my explanation.

"This has been a hugely distressing period in my life because everything I have worked so hard for has been put on hold."

But he has yet to turn out for his team as he continues working toward match fitness and sharpness, having been absent from competitive action since September 2023, when he appeared from the substitutes' bench during Juventus' encounter with Empoli.

Minamino is one player who has certainly left his mark on Pogba at the training ground since arriving at Monaco, with the France international confessing he must take a leaf out of the Japanese star's book.

"Takumi is always the first one to arrive at training and the last to leave," he told Sportiva. "I've never seen a player so disciplined yet enjoying football so much at the same time.

"That's something I need to learn from him. When you watch him play, you can clearly see he's always thinking on the pitch.

"He's incredibly smart, and his movement shows just how deeply he understands the game."

Minamino and Pogba never went head-to-head as rivals during their respective spells at Liverpool and Manchester United, with the Japanese left warming the bench on each of the three occasions the Reds locked horns with a Red Devils team featuring his current colleague.

The attacker – who shone in patches for Liverpool – clocked up 55 appearances across two-and-a-half campaigns at Anfield, notching 14 goals and three assists as he helped Jurgen Klopp's squad claim the Premier League in 2020 and both the League Cup and FA Cup in 2022, with numerous supporters believing he was undervalued during his stint on Merseyside.

Having transferred to Monaco in a preliminary £12.9million deal in June 2022, Minamino has since made 105 appearances for the Ligue 1 team, contributing 21 goals and 17 assists.

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