'Graeme Souness gave a surprising answer when I asked him why he hated Paul Pogba'

Patrice Evra claims Graeme Souness doesn’t actually hate Paul Pogba, despite the Scot’s frequent on-air hammerings of the former Manchester United midfielder. Pogba largely struggled during his second stint at Old Trafford, and Souness notoriously pulled no punches when discussing the Frenchman on TV.

Such was the frequency of his criticism that Souness hating Pogba became a running gag on social media. But according to Evra, who played with Pogba at both United and Juventus, the former Sky Sports pundit’s issue with the player was born from frustration rather than hatred.

“I had a good talk with Graeme Souness about Paul Pogba, and I asked him why he hated Pogba, but he told me that he didn’t,” Evra, 43, explained on The Overlap. “He found Pogba more frustrating, especially with his talent and quality. And that’s what I say to Paul. ‘Stop thinking people hate you. It’s because you frustrate them. You are an animal. When you run box to box, nobody can stop you’.”

Pogba’s career began at United, but after a lack of first-team opportunities, he moved to Juventus on a free transfer in 2012. There, he absolutely flourished, winning four Serie A titles in a row and catching the eye of top European clubs.

United eventually secured Pogba’s return in 2016 for a record-breaking £89million, but despite the high expectations, his subsequent stint at the club did not live up to the hype. His form was topsy-turvy, and flashes of brilliance were often overshadowed by underwhelming performances.

In 2022 he re-joined Juventus, once again on a free transfer. However, his return to Turin has been nothing short of hellish. He made just 10 appearances in his first season back after picking up two serious injuries, and during his second he was banned for four years after failing a doping test.

Evra shared a dressing room with Pogba at United for a few months prior to the latter’s initial move to Juventus. He then joined Pogba at thje club in 2014, and took on a mentor-like role for the midfielder.

“It’s not about being a big fan of Paul Pogba, it’s about being his big brother. It’s about protecting him. I was harsh with him when I joined Juventus,” Evra admitted.

The former left back even claims he had to temper Pogba’s ambitions after the younger player expressed lofty aspirations: “One day, he said to the press, ‘I deserve to win the Ballon d’Or.’ I was like, ‘Wait a minute, did you ever hear [Frank] Lampard saying that, did you ever hear [Andres] Iniesta, Xavi or whatever?’ And, I’m like, ‘Calm down, you’re not ready for that’.”

Pogba is understood to disagree with and reject Evra’s version of numerous events – including the claim about deserving the Ballon d’Or – mentioned during his appearance on The Overlap.