Paul Pogba Opens Up on Difficult Spell Last Season & Brands Transfer Speculation as 'Just Words'

Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba has admitted that he hasn't really spoken to manager Jose Mourinho about being benched on a handful of occasions during the recently concluded 2017/18 season, but claims the continuing speculation on his future at the club is 'just words'.

Speaking to France Football, Pogba seemed to suggest that he has not demanded answers from Mourinho about why he was left out of the team or substituted early in some games.

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"I am not the coach. You will have to ask him. He made his choices. Have I had talks with him? Not necessarily. He took me off. Like I've said, I do my job and he does his."

In fact, the 25-year-old seems to be fully accepting that team selection is Mourinho's domain and even put forward a previously unreported illness that he decided not to 'go crying to the media about' as a reason as to why he was struggling at one point.

"There is a team and the coach has to make decisions. If he thinks he has to put me on the bench because I didn't play well or he changes the system, it's his choice," Pogba explained.

"This year, I have been on the bench because I was injured, then I had a virus. I was taken off against Newcastle - I had a virus and couldn't breathe. Nobody knew, only [people in the club], me, the doctor, and I didn't go crying to the media to say that I was unwell."

As for his future at United, which has been labelled 'uncertain' by overzealous reporting keen to sensationalise every shred of information, Pogba says he is committed to his current contract.

"I am at Manchester United, I have my contract here for now," he declared. "All the rest is just words - that's it. I am concentrating on the World Cup."

Unfortunately, Pogba's words have been misinterpreted by some, deliberately or otherwise, for the purpose of adding even more fuel to the fire and pushing the idea of a total breakdown in the relationship between the player and his manager.

A headline in the Daily Mirror off the back of this France Football interview reads, 'Paul Pogba refuses to deny Jose Mourinho rift as France star admits he has hardly spoken to Manchester United boss'. It is a misleading title that doesn't accurately reflect the facts of what was said.