London: French midfielder Paul Pogba says Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s arrival as interim manager at Manchester United has not only sparked his return to form but also put a smile back on his face.
The 26-year-old — an integral figure in France’s World Cup triumph last year — has shown the sort of form that United paid a club record 89 million pounds in 2016 since Solskjaer arrived last month to replace the sacked Jose Mourinho.
Pogba’s relationship with the volatile Mourinho had been pretty much toxic and he found himself relegated to the substitutes bench.
“Before the coach [Solskjaer] arrived I was in the shadows, on the bench, and I accepted that,” he said after the 1-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday. “It is a pleasure to play again. Now I am always smiling.”
Solskjaer has won six from six since his arrival.
