Paul Pogba: I want to be better than Pele

The France international has won two Serie A titles since joining the Bianconeri from Manchester United, and recently extended his contact until 2019.

However, the 21-year-old insists he won’t be satisfied until he’s regarded as the world’s finest player.

“Football is about consistency,” Pogba has told FIFA’s official website, as he collected the Hyundai Young Player Award as the best youngster at this summer’s World Cup.

“You can get to the summit very quickly and drop back down again just as quickly. This prize is a very good thing to have, but I need to keep progressing and perform well in every game.

“I can't predict the future, but I'll do everything to win many more trophies. I'll continue working hard. My goal is to be the best player in the world. To be the best, you need to have pressure.

“At the moment, players like Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are always under pressure. Sometimes you see that they're not happy even when they score a goal.

“It's that attitude which allows you to raise the level of your game and your ambition.”

Previous recipients of the award for Best Young Player at the World Cup include Pele and Franz Beckenbauer, but Pogba believes he can surpass even those great names.

“It's not that I don't feel like I belong in the same category - it's just that I want to be even better than them.

“That's one of my goals and winning this prize allows me to take another step. But, like I said, this is just the start and I think the only obstacle that might stop me from continually reaching higher is myself.

“I need to keep progressing and I have to always want more. I think there are lots of players still better than me, but it's not up to me to worry about this sort of comparison. I try to do my job and be the best I possibly can.

“There are lots of midfielders I admire and watching them helps me improve.

“I could mention, for example, Yaya Toure, who has a similar size and physique to me but more experience. We have more or less the same playing style, even if he's a bit more attacking than me.”

Despite being only 21, Pogba has played for Manchester United and Juventus, as well as winning 20 caps for the French national team, and he says he has been inspired by his illustrious team-mates.

“Each change of club has been important - firstly Le Havre, then Manchester United and after that Juventus.

“The fact that I got to discover high-level football and share a dressing room with great players was a turning point. That gave me the desire to be one of the greats.”

Read the original article on Football Italia - The ultimate website for English-speaking fans of Italian football