Ibrahimovic hails 'phenomenal' Pogba and explains initial Man Utd struggles

The Swedish striker understands why his French team-mate was eager to justify a hefty transfer fee but insists he has nothing to prove

Zlatan Ibrahimovic is delighted to see Paul Pogba showing his true colours after initially trying to do "too much" to justify his record-breaking move to Manchester United.

The France international become the most expensive player in world football over the summer as the Red Devils shelled out a reported £89 million to bring him back to Old Trafford from Juventus.

Despite having graced English football before, his lack of Premier League experience showed as he struggled to make the expected impact in Jose Mourinho’s new-look side.

Pogba has, however, improved as the season has progressed – along with many of his team-mates – and is now looking more like the world-class talent Ibrahimovic considers him to be.

The Swedish striker told ESPN Brasil: "I think it is really difficult to play or adapt from different realities, but he is a phenomenal player. He has unbelievable potential.

“I think when Paul came, in his first period in United, let’s say the first month, I think he wanted to demonstrate too much that he was worth the transfer that happened instead of playing his game like he knows how to play.

“When that started to cool down, he started to play like he knows how to play, and he makes it more easier for himself, doesn’t need to demonstrate because everyone knows who Paul is, what he has been doing at Juventus for the past three to four years, what he’s able to do, and now he’s playing more like Pogba.

“He has nothing to demonstrate, he has nothing to show, he just needs to enjoy the game and help the team like he’s doing now. So now he’s playing like a mature player and you see the results.”

Ibrahimovic has also been impressed with the progress made by Argentine defender Marcos Rojo since his reintroduction to the fold during the enforced absence of injured colleagues.

He added: “I think Rojo has done a fantastic half year. Even in the beginning, he wasn’t playing so much and I think people were talking about that, which is nonsense and nothing important.

“Since he came in he has done a fantastic job, like we knew he could do because we were seeing it every day in training. But the coach is there to find a collective part before the individual, because when he has the collective he can start playing with the individual, so he needs to find his base and Rojo has been in that base.”