"Kick him" - Club legend on how Manchester United players should react to wantaway Paul Pogba

Paul Pogba

Ryan Giggs has called on Manchester United players to kick Paul Pogba in training to refocus his mind following a summer of speculation about his future.

The Frenchman has been heavily linked with a move to Real Madrid and Juventus in recent weeks, but it is highly unlikely that he will depart Old Trafford now that United are unable to sign a replacement.

And Giggs believes his former club's players should dish out some tough treatment to the midfielder.

"Kick him in training," the Welshman told the Evening Standard when asked how a wantaway player would have been treated during his time at the club. 

"But that doesn't happen anymore. You are starting to lose that. Now I'm not saying you kick everyone. But that was how [Cristiano] Ronaldo got better.

“Scholesy would kick him if he took too many touches. And suddenly it clicked that you can't keep dribbling or else I'm going to get kicked.

“I saw an interview with [Vincent] Kompany at the end of the season. And he's a bit old school.

“He was asked about the week ahead of last game at Brighton and he said 'sometimes I have to give a player a kick!' And I was thinking City might miss that this year.”

Manchester United begin their Premier League season at home to Chelsea 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).