Paul Pogba urges Manchester United's youngsters to take chance at "biggest club in history"

Paul Pogba

Paul Pogba hopes Manchester United's crop of young players will go on to become legends at the club.

Mason Greenwood was on target in Sunday's 1-1 draw with Everton, a result which moved United to within four points of the top four.

Fellow academy graduates Marcus Rashford, Scott McTominay and Brandon Williams have also impressed this term, as have imported youngsters Daniel James and Aaron Wan-Bissaka.

And Pogba hopes that his junior team-mates can remain key players at Old Trafford for years to come.

"I think and I hope I can help them," Pogba told MUTV. "I've said to a lot of the young players who have been with the first team: 'Guys, you don't know how lucky you are'.

"Unfortunately for us, we've had a lot of injured players and it's therefore a big chance for the young players to be involved with the first team.

"This is one of the biggest clubs in the world and maybe the biggest club in history and they have the chance to be in this club.

"So I say to them: 'Take your chance, play, you are young, you have quality, you have nothing to be afraid of'.

"I hope I can give them the good example when I'm on the pitch and outside the pitch and, even though I don't see myself as old, I hope that the young players will, one day, come and take my position [when I finish playing].

"That's how it is, I won't play forever. We all give our best on the pitch and I hope these young players will become legends here at the club, they have to enjoy it and really appreciate the chance they have here.

"Mason Greenwood is scoring goals, Brandie [Brandon Williams] has been playing games like he's been there for six months already. This is about what the club is about and what the manager wants."

United host Colchester in the League Cup quarter-finals on Wednesday, before a trip to Watford in the Premier League on Sunday.

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Greg Lea

Greg Lea is a freelance football journalist who's filled in wherever FourFourTwo needs him since 2014. He became a Crystal Palace fan after watching a 1-0 loss to Port Vale in 1998, and once got on the scoresheet in a primary school game against Wilfried Zaha's Whitehorse Manor (an own goal in an 8-0 defeat).