Manchester United were handed a shock defeat in Rotterdam as Dutch club Feyenoord ran out 1-0 winners thanks to a contentious late goal.
Following Feyenoord’s surprise win over Jose Mourinho’s men, captain Dirk Kuyt revealed that he received praise from the Red Devils’ star midfielder Paul Pogba during the game. The former Liverpool star was happy to hear the compliments from a player he ranks as ‘one of the best’ in Europe.
“He said that it is unbelievable that I am here still running and flying around without any trouble,” said Kuyt, according to Dutch publication Metro Nieuws. “It’s nice that he has respect for me, especially because he is one of the best players in Europe. “
Dirk Kuyt is best remembered for his time with Manchester United’s bitter rivals Liverpool. The Dutchman scored 71 goals in 286 appearances in all competitions for the Reds and is considered a cult hero at Anfield.
One of Kuyt’s most memorable evenings in a Liverpool shirt was when he smashed a hat-trick against Man United in 2011 to give the Reds a 3-1 win at Anfield. At the time, Paul Pogba was playing with the Manchester United U18 team, a year before his move to Turin.
The 23-year-old Frenchman became the world’s most expensive player this summer after moving back to Old Trafford from Juventus for a reported fee of €105 million. However, Pogba hasn’t done anything of note since his return to Man United.
The midfielder has played in four games so far and his impact has been minimal. After an average display in the Manchester derby, many had called for a change in positioning. Manager Jose Mourinho handed him a different role against Feyenoord, but he failed to turn up yet again.
His compatriot and a more natural holding midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin played as a shield to the defence, allowing Pogba to focus more on an attacking role. However, the Frenchman just had three shots on goal, a lower number than late substitute Memphis Depay.
The Frenchman is understandably subject to far more scrutiny than other players given his world record transfer to Old Trafford, and Man United fans are already impatient for Pogba to live up to his price tag.