'Pogba is better than Vieira'
Paul Pogba has had an underwhelming lead-up to this year's World Cup, but French legend Laurent Blanc has come out in praise of the midfielder, saying he is better than Patrick Vieira.
Pogba has had a mixed season with club side Manchester United, finding himself benched by Jose Mourinho for a period of the season, and he recently received jeers from the French fans during a disappointing display against Italy.
The midfielder is never far from the headlines, but French legend Laurent Blanc believes that it must be remembered that he is still a young player.
"I think he's a new player, let's not forget he's young, so I think he still has room to improve," Blanc said, in an interview with 'FIFA.com'.
Blanc then gave great praise to Pogba, claiming that he is better than French stalwart Patrick Vieira was.
"In my generation we have very physically impressive players, like Patrick Vieira, for example," he explained. "Technically speaking Patrick is really good, but he is not as good as Pogba, especially in terms of attacking."
For Blanc, Pogba will soon be a key player for France. "If he can optimise his physical potential and his technique, he will be able to score many goals," he stated.
"He is well ahead of the other players in terms of physical levels, it will make a difference at some point in the game."
"In the next few years, I think if Pogba does not suffer from injury problems, he will be one of the key players for France and also his club, lucky enough to have Pogba."