Pogba Stepped Up After His Ego Was 'Dented' By Fernandes' Brilliance: Ex-Man Utd Defender

Former Manchester United defender Paul Parker has claimed that Bruno Fernandes has "dented Paul Pogba's ego" and after playing in the Portuguese's shadow in 2020, the player now has stepped up his game.

Fernandes, who moved from Sporting Lisbon to Old Trafford in January 2020, has been instrumental in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side. He helped Manchester United to finish third in the Premier League last season, scoring eight goals and seven assists in his first 14 outings for the club. He has already netted 11 goals in 19 league matches in the ongoing campaign as the Red Devils sit at the top of the table.

Overall, Fernandes has scored 15 goals in 28 competitive matches in 2020-21. In the last three league games, Fernandes' form dipped, while Pogba scored twice and assisted once in his last four league outings for Manchester United, including the winner he scored in his side's 2-1 win over Fulham on Wednesday.

Pogba, who made a $122 million-return to Old Trafford from Juventus in 2016, is finally justifying his potential after battling COVID-19 and a string of injuries.

Parker, who played for Manchester United between 1991 and 1996, believes Pogba's recent improvement is a result of his refusal to be overshadowed by Fernandes.

"In 2020 he was been playing in the shadow of Fernandes and that will have dented his ego. Pogba was signed for a big fee; his marketability and profile – as well as his playing ability – suited Manchester United. But the best profile you can ever have is to be an excellent footballer, and while Fernandes came in with a much lower profile, his status has outgrown Pogba's and for the right reasons: he's at the top of the tree for being brilliant," Parker told Eurosport.

The former Red Devils defender has also said Manchester United need Pogba to challenge for the title and his performance should not drop.

"And you can't beat competition. In any industry, if competition comes along and you just sulk about it, then you're not going to survive. You have to improve to get respect. Fernandes quickly became the key man when he arrived and it became Manchester United and Fernandes, not Pogba. It was Pogba before for the wrong reasons, now it's Fernandes for goals and assists. United need that from Pogba now to challenge for the title, for him to not drop below a 7/10 in any game," Parker added.