Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba says representing France has provided a “breath of fresh air” away from the most difficult period of his career.
A challenging start to the 2020/21 campaign at Manchester United has seen Pogba’s regular spot in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s starting line-up threatened by struggles for form and consistency.
Pogba looked back to his best as he helped France to a 1-0 victory over Portugal on Saturday that sent the world champions through to the UEFA Nations League finals for the first time, and it was a performance that came as a welcome relief to the 27-year-old.
“This is a period that I haven’t previously experienced in my career, as I’ve been used to playing all the time and getting into my rhythm, so that’s suddenly changed,” he told RTL.
“I feel I’m gradually getting back into it now. I’m rediscovering my form. That’s the sort of performance that I need to produce and I need to do so consistently.”
Pogba added: “[Playing with France] it’s like a window that opens up. It’s a breath of fresh air when you come here. We have a truly fantastic squad. When we come here, we’re all happy.
“We’re all pleased to see one another. We really enjoy ourselves on the pitch. That doesn’t mean we don’t enjoy ourselves at club level, but it’s not the same here. We’re a real family, and we have so much fun when we come here.”
France crashed to a shock friendly defeat to Finland before the crucial Group A3 trip to Portugal but bounced back in style as N’Golo Kante’s sealed the victory.
It was a night to savour for the world champions, and Pogba has set his sights on maintaining that winning feeling through to next summer’s European Championships.