Paul Pogba is a man reborn.
Out of all the players who have benefited from the change of manager at Manchester United, Paul Pogba is probably top of most people's lists. Marcus Rashford, Nemanja Matic and many others have improved, but none as much as Pogba.
The Frenchman has been something of a mercurial figure at Old Trafford, and struggled enormously in the latter days of Jose Mourinho's time at the club. With the Portuguese coach now gone though, Pogba looks like the player we saw pull the strings for France during their triumph World Cup in Russia during the summer of 2018.
Against Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley on Sunday, Pogba's improvement continued as he put in a stellar first half performance - providing a stunning assist for Marcus Rashford's decisive goal - and showing discipline in the second half as the Red Devils faced a deluge of Spurs pressure.
Speaking to Jamie Redknapp of Sky Sports after his side's 1-0 win, Pogba spoke about how he is enjoying his football, and admitted how different things are under interim manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer compared to the previous manager.
“Obviously it was very important, it was a big test. Tottenham needed points and we needed points. A team performance was the key of the game and we did it. We’re really proud of it," said the 25-year-old, before explaining why he has improved so much in recent games.
“I would say I’m enjoying playing football. It was really difficult with the system we used to play. We attack and this is the position where I feel most comfortable.
Pogba continued, praising Solskjaer for the encouragement to play attacking football, before citing what some might consider a surprise example of the sort of player he seeks to emulate.
“This is what the manager told me to do, he told me to get into the box. The best example for me is Frank Lampard," he added.
“Everything comes well when you feel free, when you have the trust of the manager and players.”
