Paul Pogba’s journey to becoming the most expensive footballer in the world

– Paul Pogba has re-joined Manchester United for N45 billion world record fee – His energy and explosive style is compared with Patrick Viera – “Pogboom” left French club, Le Havre acrimoniously in 2009 to Manchester United – The Frenchman left United to Juventus due to lack of playing time – Pogba left United a boy and returned a man, leaving a colossal hole in the club’s pocket in the process It has been a long and arduous journey for a black player to be the world’s most expensive footballer ever with Paul Pogba’s transfer back to Manchester United from Juventus for N45billion (£105million). Gone are the days of total disregard for black player’s abilities and modicum financial reward for their undoubted skills, performances and inputs. The leggy Frenchman nicknamed ‘Paul the Octopus` in Italy for his long legs that look like tentacles in tackling and running, and also generally compared with the former France international, Patrick Viera for his energy and explosive style on the pitch has indeed made history. Paul Pogba as a Manchester United trainee Early childhood and career Paul Labile Pogba was born on 15 March, 1993 in Lagny- sur-Marne, Seine-et-Marne to modest Guinean parents. He has two older brothers who are twins (Florentin and Mathias) and are also footballers, plying their trade with Sainte Etiene in France and Partick Thistle in Scotland respectively. He began his football career at the age of six with US-Roissy-en-Brie, a few miles south of his hometown where he spent seven seasons before joining US Toray and served as the under-13 team captain. He later joined Le Havre as his first professional club. He helped the club to finish second in the second-tier of the French league. He departed Le Havre acrimoniously on 31 July, 2009 to join the youth academy of Manchester United. A move that led Le Havre to release an official statement on its website criticising Manchester United and the Pogba family poaching and reneging on agreement before later announcing their intention to ask FIFA to probe the transfer. United countered by threatening to sue the club, while Pogba was forced to deny leaving for £87.000 and a house, as alleged by the then Le Havre President Jean-pierre Houvel. It turned out to be a case of `what comes around goes around` as Pogba’s former club Torcy accused Le Harve of employing similar tactics to acquire his services by releasing a statement “We will not use the term ‘steal’, but the recruiters of Le Havre acted the same way with the club in Torcy.” Manchester United was eventually cleared of wrongdoing by a judge appointed by FIFA, stating that Pogba was not contractually linked with Le Havre. A confidential agreement was later reached by both clubs on 18 June, 2010 to resolve the matter.