Paul Pogba names his two toughest opponents and one is very unexpected

Paul Pogba has competed at the highest level for Manchester United, Juventus and France over the last 10 years, so when he was asked for his toughest opponent, few would have expected Emre Can to be mentioned.

Can himself has been playing at elite level with Liverpool, Bayern Munich, Juventus Germany and currently Borussia Dortmund, but is still something of a left-field choice.

Pogba remembers one match with the German, though, that still resonates with him for just how tough the contest with Can was.

The Frenchman could not speak of his toughest opponents without mentioning N’Golo Kante, though, saying that the Chelsea man, and his France teammate, is like taking on two players at once.

‘Emre Can, yeah,’ Pogba told JOE when asked about his toughest foe.

‘Obviously, N’Golo [Kanté] and everything, but one day I remember I had a big battle with Emre Can.

‘But with Kante, you pass him and you think there’s another N’Golo because he comes back so fast.’

Pogba has spoken in glowing terms of Kante before, describing the former Leicester star as ‘the most beloved player in the history of football.

Speaking to beIN Sports, Pogba said: ‘He’s the most beloved player in the history of football. You’ve got to love him, you cannot hate him, it is not possible. He is humble, kind, professional. He will never complain, he will work.

‘He’s got everything. He’s good technically, with a good passing quality, and he’s everywhere on the pitch. I even say he appears out of the ground! You don’t see him, and — poof — he’s out! He gets the ball, he has the finish. He’s everywhere.

‘To have a player like that by your side, what more can you ask for?’

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