Wayne Rooney is one of very few current Manchester United players to have shared a pitch with Paul Pogba during the Frenchman’s first spell at the club.
But the captain remembers Pogba very vividly, and is excited by the prospect of the midfielder returning in a potential record-breaking deal.
The transfer saga has gone on for most of the summer, but Rooney seems excited by the idea of being reunited with a player who “would just hurt you”, even in training.
“You didn’t even need to get into a tackle. Just go next to him and you’d find an elbow or some other sharp bit,” Rooney told the Daily Mail.
“So, if he comes, I’m looking forward to that again!
Pogba only made seven senior appearances for United before leaving for Juventus in 2012, but has gone on to become a superstar for the Italian giants.
A transfer back to Old Trafford seems imminent, with a fee of just under £100m cited in numerous reports, but it is yet to be confirmed.
“He had great ability, some of the things he could do, and he’s gone up a level since he left us,” Rooney added.
“I hope he is going to want to return to United and prove he’s a top-class player. If he is excited to play for us, we’ll be excited to have him back.
I’m sure he’ll feel there is unfinished business, and it would be a very big statement by the club if they can make it happen.”