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.
Since Solskjaer's arrival last month to replace the sacked Jose Mourinho, Pogba has shown the sort of form that United paid a club record £89 million ($114.5 million) for in 2016.
Pogba's relationship with the volatile Mourinho had been pretty much toxic all season - having already degenerated in the previous campaign - and he found himself relegated to the substitutes bench more frequently towards the end of Mourinho's reign.
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“Before the coach (Solskjaer) arrived I was in the shadows, on the bench, and I accepted that,” he said after the impressive 1-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.
“It is a pleasure to play again. Now I am always smiling,” said Pogba who had been linked with a move away from the club if Mourinho had stayed,
Solskjaer, who The Sun reported on Tuesday is in pole position to get the job permanently as he has impressed the board and has the unaninmous support of the players, has won six from six since his arrival.
Pogba says a lot of that can be put down to the fact Solskjaer knows the club inside out having played for it and then been on the coaching staff. Pogba first encountered Solskjaer during his first spell at United in 2010 when the Norwegian had moved on from playing to become reserve team coach.
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“It's a pleasure to be reunited with him,” said Pogba. “I knew him from the academy and the reserves, when his nickname was 'Supersub'.
“He is doing a really good job. As a player he knew the mentality of this club. He has come back to help us and it is going very well.”
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