Paul Pogba insists he has no hard feelings towards Jose Mourinho following their turbulent relationship together at Manchester United.
The pair had several bust-ups during their time together at United, with Mourinho once arguing with the midfielder in front of television cameras before a training session in 2018.
Mourinho also revealed after his departure at United that he was involved in a disagreement with one player – widely believed to be Pogba – because he would not allow them to leave the stadium in a chauffeur-driven Rolls-Royce.
Mourinho and Pogba won both the Europa League and the Carabao Cup during their stint at Old Trafford and the midfielder says he still has respect for his former manager.
‘Our relationship was like boyfriend and girlfriend, we were breaking up and making up all the time,’ Pogba told MailOnline.
‘It started great, he was one of the reasons I went back to Manchester because I spoke to him and he convinced me to come back.
‘I don’t know why it turned into a nightmare and us fighting. Because I wasn’t fighting. I didn’t start the fight.
‘We disagreed like managers and players do sometimes. But there’s a lot of respect from me to him.
‘If I see him tomorrow it’s a big hug. But one day we will have to sit down together and discuss it.’
Pogba also concedes that he ‘mentally wasn’t there’ in his final season at United after Ed Woodward blocked his exit.
‘The year Jose went and Ole came, it was my best season at United but after the last game I told Ole and Ed Woodward that I thought it was my last year and that I wanted to leave,’ Pogba said.
‘I was 27 back then, it didn’t work out the way I wanted. I gave my best but I didn’t see the club going upwards.
‘Manchester City and Liverpool were better than us and they were improving. Ole said yes [I could leave] and that he would talk to Ed.
‘My head was already that I wanted to go but I came back for pre season because I wanted to be professional.
‘I spoke to Ed to try to make a move but he blocked it. I didn’t want to play for United anymore but I had to be professional.
‘Mentally I wasn’t there and then I got the injuries.’
In a separate interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport, Pogba also appeared to express regret over his decision to leave United during Sir Alex Ferguson’s era.
When asked what top coach he would like to work with before the end of his career, Pogba replied: ‘Ferguson. I had it, but only a little: I was young.’
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