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Paul Pogba’s ridiculous seal dribble is a reminder of the talent Man Utd once had

Paul Pogba is a unicorn of a player, he is simultaneously able to bully players with his 6’3″ frame while also being able to dance around defenders with his nimble feet.

The Frenchman’s career is often clouded with the feeling of what could’ve been. Re-signing for Manchester United in 2016 should have been the moment that Pogba shined brightest.

However, football doesn’t always follow the Hollywood script. While the 30-year-old did have some great moments in Manchester, he never quite hit the heights that plenty felt he was capable of.

Of course, part of this could have been down to how United used him. Making him pick up the ball from the back four in a rigid 4-2-3-1? That’s not how you get the best out of a unicorn.

Pogba is at his unrelenting best when he is given a license to roam and create. We did see flashes of this in the Premier League, but not with the consistency he showed in Italy.

These days you can find him back at Juventus and he is slowly starting to showcase that similar swagger once again. The midfielder has been hamstrung by injury this year, but when he steps onto the pitch you know you are in for a treat.

His latest dazzling showing came against Sevilla in the Europa League. Introduced as a substitute in the 70th minute, he completely changed the game.

He assisted Federico Gatti for a 97th-minute equaliser, but that’s not what caught our eye. Instead, it was his ridiculous seal dribble that we can’t stop watching.

Like a year 11 snatching the ball away from a year seven, he was just toying with the opposition. His core strength holds off his marker while his head does the rest of the work.

The sort of dribble that only a player like Pogba could pull off. We could watch this sort of thing all night long.

His homecoming at Juventus hasn’t gone to plan so far, but perhaps this is the start of something. The midfielder missed the first chunk of the season due to a series of injuries.

As we now approach the season’s finale, Pogba has played a grand total of 127 minutes of football. All nine of his appearances so far have come from the bench.

“When games are in the opposition half, he is in an extraordinary player,” Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri told reporters after the game.

“If he was in optimal condition, of course I would have him in the starting XI every game. He gave a very important contribution this evening.”

Even in his limited cameo appearances this season, he still manages to make an impact when it counts. We wouldn’t bet against him making the difference in the second leg too.

Pogba is a unique talent who should be appreciated while he is still active in the game. At 30 years old, we hope that he’s still got a few more years at the top level left in him.

By Ben Stewart


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