Former top flight striker Jan Aage Fjortoft has warned Paul Pogba that the time has come for him to live up to his reputation on the pitch and believes that others will be ready to outshine him if he cannot step up.
Pogba signed for Manchester United from Juventus in the summer of 2016 for £89.3m, with the Red Devils splashing the cash to bring the Frenchman back to Old Trafford.
The 27-year old’s second stint at Old Trafford has not been as fruitful as his time in Italy, with some believing the World Cup winner has struggled to live up to expectations for the Red Devils during his time at the club.
Fjortoft feels Pogba’s label of a great player has yet to be proven by the man himself on the pitch, with the former Middlesbrough man stressing he hopes the Frenchman can look back at his career in ten years and be satisfied with himself without any regrets.
The 53-year old Norwegian believes if Pogba keeps struggling to replicate his Juventus form for the Red Devils, his place in Manchester United’s starting eleven will be taken over by a younger player, with Fjortoft insisting the midfielder has no more excuses left to make this time around.
“Well I hope Paul Pogba in ten years’ time can look back on his career and think I did what I could”, Fjortoft told ESPN FC.
“And I feel so sorry for players. I was a limited player and I tried to get everything out of my career.
“And Paul Pogba has [won] the biggest trophy in the world of course [in the World Cup], but still this talk about all this global player, great star player – well, he has to show it on the pitch and I’m not sure [if he has].
“Ole Gunnar Solskjaer could be the perfect manager for him if he goes in there for Ole Gunnar we’ll look for the good in him, try to get him in there with Bruno Fernandes.
“He could be good, but he has to start now if he wants to measure himself with the big players in the world you have to do on the pitch and not only by the hairdresser, you have to do it on the pitch.
“And he has to start now because there are so many different players around the world now, young players who will take that position of Paul Pogba, so it’s time for him to start now, there’s no more excuses.”
Pogba has been out with an injury for the majority of this season, but the suspension of the campaign means he is ready to slot back into Solskjaer's team.
