Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba has denied disrespecting Sir Alex Ferguson following his acrimonious summer exit from Manchester United.
The highly rated Frenchman joined the Serie A outfit after snubbing a new contract at Old Trafford, prompting the Scot to claim that he was "quite happy that [Pogba's] away from [the club] anyway".
However, the 19-year-old has hit back, revealing that he left the Premier League side after growing frustrated at a lack of first-team opportunities.
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"I understand that people were surprised that I refused to extend my contract with Manchester United," Pogba told L'Equipe. "But Manchester United and Juventus are the same - they are two great clubs.
"There were things which we [Pogba and Manchester United] did not agree on but I don’t regret anything. I learned a lot there.
"The coach [Ferguson] trusted me, but he didn't play me, he said I was too young. He told me 'Your time will come', but it didn’t come. Despite the fact that he is the boss, my goal was to play.
"He said I disrespected him. I do not know why he said that. A 19-year-old who says no [to him], maybe he was stuck. But for me, it will not change anything. This is not to say that I will speak ill of Manchester. I love this club.
"I didn't realise that at 19 years old, I'm playing at one of the biggest clubs in Europe. I'm still young. I have not yet played 60 matches in any league or the Champions League. For now I am nothing. It is simply a chance for me to play in a big club."