When Paul Pogba first moved to England and joined Manchester United in 2009, he was just 16. By this point, he was already touted as one of the most promising young footballers in the world, with the move only increasing the pressure on his shoulders.
Pogba joined from the under-16 academy of French side Le Havre, where he had garnered a reputation for his demanding and direct style of play, and had already established himself as a French youth international. Despite these accolades at such a young age, Pogba insists he didn’t feel the heat.
“To me at the time, it wasn’t pressure, it was good,” he explains to HYPEBEAST. “I had big ambitions and it really gave me strength to be in England and to have people talking about me. For me it was a great opportunity to leave France and be at a club like Manchester United and do my academy [training] there. It was a dream, but to me there was no pressure.”
Growing up in an eastern suburb of Paris throughout the late ‘90s and early 2000s, Pogba and his two older brothers – both of whom are also professional footballers – were witness to a French footballing revolution. Prior to a first-ever World Cup triumph in 1998, the French national team had only managed a semi-final appearance in the European Championships two years before, and a third-placed finish at Mexico ‘86. But now under the leadership of Aimé Jacquet, the team and the country as a whole was on a rapid upward trajectory.
“I always tell myself to keep working, keep following your dreams and never doubt yourself, because football is not easy.”
“I remember watching the 1998 World Cup, it was the first time I really engaged with the sport,” explains Pogba. “I was five at the time and it pushed me even more to play football, especially after the France national team won with players like Zinedine Zidane and Thierry Henry. It really pushed me and gave me more hope to play and more desire”.
That desire has stayed with Pogba throughout his career. When asked about the importance of mentality within the sport, he describes it as 99% of his game. Despite various setbacks throughout his career, Pogba’s desire and passion is something that’s never been in question. “I always tell myself to keep working, keep following your dreams and never doubt yourself, because football is not easy,” he explains. “There’s always a time when you have to make sacrifices and tough choices, it’s a part of the journey and if you want it enough, you can succeed”.
Pogba’s success is laid bare in his list of accomplishments. Following his early career at Manchester United, Pogba embarked on a successful four-year stint at Juventus, before returning to Old Trafford for a then-record for highest football transfer fee at €105 million ($115 million USD). During this time he secured four Serie A titles, two Coppa Italia and three Serie A Team of the Year Awards, and has since won a Europa League trophy with Manchester United and led the France national team to World Cup and UEFA Nations League glory.
Pepsi
Alongside his clear talent for the game, Pogba’s success is in part down to those he used to idolize growing up. Reflecting on the iconic Pepsi adverts of the early 2000s, Pogba — who has featured in the latest campaign — highlights one in particular that really made its mark.
“I remember the first one with Ronaldinho quite well,” he explains. “When I was a young kid I used to see that and watch it again and again — it was so cool. Since then I’ve always wanted to be in the advert with Pepsi, and be like the players me and my brothers used to see”.
From winning the World Cup to appearing in the Pepsi advert, Pogba is living out his and his brothers’ dreams. But he isn’t finished yet. “I always want more,” he insists. “There are a few trophies I still don’t have that I want in my house, hopefully it’s only a matter of time”.
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