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ESPN staff 6y

Paul Pogba: My heart chose Manchester United over Real Madrid

Paul Pogba has explained his decision to join Manchester United over Real Madrid last year, telling the Beyond the Pitch podcast: "My heart told me to come back."

Pogba, 24, came through the youth ranks at United but left for Juventus in 2012 after growing frustrated at a lack of opportunities under Sir Alex Ferguson.

The France international returned to Old Trafford four years later for a then world-record fee despite having been heavily linked with Zinedine Zidane's Madrid earlier in the summer.

Asked if Madrid had been his first choice, he said: "To be honest, I'm being honest with you, Real Madrid came to me and I was thinking to go there, and I was thinking to go to Manchester United too.

"But I always felt it in my heart -- my heart told me to come back here. I don't know why, I didn't know what was going to happen, but I did it, and I don't regret. I never regret my choice."

On whether the club could have dealt with things better during his first stint at Old Trafford, he said: "Maybe -- you have to speak with them."

He said things had changed "just a bit" since Ferguson's era, with so many members of staff still present, but made clear that he is relishing the chance to play a key role for the club now under Jose Mourinho.

Asked why Mourinho is "the Special One," he said: "Because he's special. He's really special.

"He has a special way to start the games, a special way to speak to the players, a special way to speak to the journalists. He's really special.

"He motivates me. He speaks to me a lot. He trusts me. He's the one who put me in the Champions League, I was the captain [against Basel in September], so I can see that he really trusts me and believes in me. You have to give him the [acknowledgement]."

Pogba has been touted as a future club captain by some supporters and said: "I would be really pleased to hear that. For me, just wearing the shirt ... I always give 100 [percent]. I want to win.

"I came back for a reason -- just to put Manchester United where they belong, the place where they belong. I'm sure we can do that. I want to give my best until we arrive where Manchester wants to arrive."

His first season back at the club ended with a sixth-place finish in the Premier League but was ultimately successful as they won the Community Shield, League Cup and Europa League.

"That's what we were expecting -- to go back in the Champions League and win some trophies," he said. "The main objective, the main goal, was to win the Premier League, but it didn't happen, but we won other trophies so I'm glad."

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