At a Glance:
- Paul Pogba was a big fan of Abou Diaby.
- Pogba used to “watch videos” of Diaby.
- The AS Monaco star also used to study Patrick Vieira’s game.
Paul Pogba has revealed that when he was a youngster, he used to watch videos of former Arsenal and France midfielder Abou Diaby.
Diaby was released by Arsenal in 2015, as he went on to join Marseille but during his time at the Emirates Stadium, the 39-year-old was renowned for his exceptional natural talent.
The Paris-born star was a similar player to Pogba in the sense that despite being 6’2 and an imposing physical presence on the whole, he was blessed with gorgeous technique and razor-sharp feet.
Former Arsenal starlet Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain raved about Diaby as well as the Frenchman was well and truly a special player, whose career was dragged down by persistent injuries.
Paul Pogba reveals he used to ‘watch videos’ of Arsenal cult hero Abou Diaby
In an interview on Rio Ferdinand Presents, Pogba named Diaby as one of the many great midfielders he used to watch videos of while trying to reach the top of the game.
The former Juventus technician was a top-class player himself and for him to heap praise on his countryman speaks volumes of the latter’s undeniable quality.
Pogba revealed he used to study Arsenal great Patrick Vieira as well as Diaby and considering the AS Monaco superstar’s blend of incredible technique and raw power, it is easy to see why.
The 33-year-old said: “I was watching videos of Steven Gerrard, [Frank] Lampard, Yaya Toure, Abou Diaby, Patrick Vieira obviously, [Andres] Iniesta, even back then, [Luka] Modric.”
“And I tried to create something new, you know? Because I know I’m tall, I always liked to dribble, ability…you know, tekkers!”
Paul Pogba and Abou Diaby compared in the Premier League
Both Pogba and Diaby played in the Premier League for Manchester United and Arsenal respectively.
| Premier League stats | Paul Pogba | Abou Diaby |
| Appearances | 157 | 124 |
| Goals | 29 | 14 |
| Assists | 38 | 10 |
Based on the numbers, the World Cup winner has the edge on the former Auxerre man.
Pogba played 33 more games than Diaby while scoring 15 more goals and provided 28 more assists.
The former also won the Europa League, the FA Cup and the Carabao Cup at Manchester United while the latter only lifted the FA Cup in 2014.
However, had Diaby remained more available during his time at Arsenal, he could have hit similar heights to the four-time Serie A winner.
