Former Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho once explained why Paul Pogba often raised his game for France during his time at Old Trafford, shortly after the last World Cup.
It was announced on Wednesday that the midfielder will leave United when his contract expires at the end of this month. It will bring his second spell at Old Trafford to an end as he leaves the club on a free for the second time in his career.
Juventus, who signed Pogba from United back in 2012, appear to be the favourites to secure his signature for a second time. French giants Paris Saint-Germain and Spanish heavyweights Real Madrid have also been credited with interest in recent months.
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Wherever Pogba ends up, however, United will suffer a huge financial loss. They paid £89million to bring him back to the club in August 2016 and never saw a true return on their investment, with his performances frequently inconsistent.
It became clear from 2018 onwards that he was a more dangerous player for his country than United. His performance levels increased on the international stage and left many fans scratching their heads as to why he never performed so well at Old Trafford.
But former United chief Mourinho tried to explain why that was shortly after Pogba helped France win the 2018 World Cup in Russia. He pinpointed how having a sole focus and determination to succeed, in a scenario where every match counts, was important for a player of Pogba's character.
"I don't think it's about getting the best out of him, it's about giving the best he has to give," said Mourinho, speaking shortly after France's World Cup triumph four years ago. "And I think the World Cup is the perfect habitat for a player like him to give the best.
"Why? Because he's closed for a month where he can only think about football, where he's with his team on the training camp, completely isolated from the external world. Where he can focus just on football, where the dimensions of the games can only motivate.
"Because during a season you can have a big match, then a small match, then one even smaller, then you can lose your focus, you can lose your concentration, then comes a big match again. In the World Cup, the direction of the emotion, of the responsibility, of the big decisions is always growing up.
"You are in the group phase, you go to the last-16, to the quarter-finals, to the semi-finals and to the final. This feeds the motivation, this feeds the concentration of a player. So, I think it was the perfect environment for him.
"At the same time, I think players in the World Cup really feel that extra commitment with the country, with the people, that extra responsibility. That makes them by the emotional point of view, to be sometimes even over committed.
"So, they play for the team and only for the team and the team is the most important thing and they do everything to try to succeed. So, I think it's the perfect environment for a talented player like him to focus, to fully focus on the job."
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