Paul Pogba's got the hunger and appetite to play: Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer

Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer says Paul Pogba is determined to succeed at Old Trafford despite recent controversial comments from his agent Mino Raiola. The Frenchman’s future is in doubt after his agent said that his time at Old Trafford was coming to an end.

Pogba joined Manchester United from Juventus in the summer of 2016 and was expected to be the flag-bearer of a new era at Old Trafford. The Frenchman arrived with a fearsome reputation, after establishing himself as one of the best midfielders in the world at Turin.

Unfortunately, Pogba never really got going at Manchester United and his time at Old Trafford cannot be deemed a success so far. There have been sporadic phases of resurgence under both Jose Mourinho and Solskjaer, but the player has failed to perform consistently.

With the player nearing entering his final 18 months at the club, Raiola’s comments hinted that it was time for Pogba to move on. However, Solskjaer seemed to indicate that despite the latest controversy, the Frenchman remains eager to play for Manchester United.

The Manchester United manager hailed Paul Pogba’s impact in recent games

Paul Pogba has played second fiddle to Bruno Fernandes at Old Trafford so far this season.

Paul Pogba has featured in just eight Premier League games at Manchester United and has played second fiddle to the outstanding Bruno Fernandes ever since the Portuguese arrived at Old Trafford. However, he continues to be an important figure under Solskjaer despite the plethora of midfielders at the Norwegian’s disposal.

Ahead of Saturday’s Manchester Derby, the United manager said that Paul Pogba still has the hunger and desire to give his all on the pitch.

"Paul’s got the hunger and appetite to play. He wants to train and he’s focused on performing when he gets a chance," said Solskjaer.

The Norwegian drew parallels with other Manchester United players who had distanced themselves from training in a bid to try and force a way out of Old Trafford.

"There’s been other players refusing to train and refusing to play - they’re not here anymore, of course - but Paul’s not done that. He’s got the quality and the desire to do well when he comes on, like he did against Leipzig when he had a positive impact," said Solskjaer.

Solskjær on Paul Pogba: "There is no point talking off the pitch, you have to talk on the pitch as a footballer and that is where the proof is — you cannot stop good players from playing well. Paul has been focused on his football." #mulive [sky]

— utdreport (@utdreport) December 12, 2020

Manchester United head to the Manchester Derby in seventh place in the table with a game in hand. Solskjaer will be counting on Pogba to help his team overcome their rivals.

Pls @ManUtd let’s make sure Manchester is Red this evening! Don’t be allowing the blue side to bounce around the streets with a smile on their face!UNITED . UNITED . UNITED ❤️ pic.twitter.com/aFRYYwu38A

— Rio Ferdinand (@rioferdy5) December 12, 2020