Wayne Rooney Talks Paul Pogba, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Manchester United and More

Manchester United captain Wayne Rooney has insisted former team-mate Paul Pogba has "unfinished business" at Old Trafford, praising the Frenchman's mentality in training and the impact of new signing Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Speaking to Martin Samuel of the Daily Mail, Rooney remarked on Pogba's physical training approach, the legacy he started during his first stint with United and just how "excited" he and the team would be to have the player back:

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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.

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[I remember] The bruises. He was one of those players who, when you trained against him, somehow he would just hurt you. A knee in your side, bump into you, I don’t think he meant to do it, but it just happened.

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Rooney added the former Red Devils starlet has "gone up a level" since leaving Old Trafford in 2012, joining Juventus for just an £800,000 compensation sum due to his young age. Per Samuel, the 23-year-old is now close to moving back for a sum in excess of £100 million.

United will hope to see Pogba produce the kind of quality that can bring silverware back to the club, but Squawka's Greg Johnson highlighted another benefit he'll bring to the table:

Rooney also touched on the mark Ibrahimovic will make after signing a one-year contract with the Premier League giants and scoring inside four minutes of his debut against Galatasaray on Saturday.

The 34-year-old striker has plenty to offer with the ball at his feet, but his new captain has also gushed about the influence he's having on his team-mates off the pitch:

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He’s one of the best strikers, and a big personality. You can see he wants to be a really important player for us. After training he is already talking about how we can get the best out of each other, you can see he’s got this great work ethic.

I think the players feel this is more like the old Manchester United. It’s not just the new signings, we’ve got Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford from last season who made such an impact.

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Manager Jose Mourinho looks likely to lead with Ibrahimovic in attack as often as fitness will allow before seeing if the player wants to remain at the club next summer, with Martial and Rashford as likely back-up options.

However, England international Rashford has already spoken highly of the opportunities he'll get just from working alongside one of the greatest frontmen of the modern era:

One topic of discussion after Mourinho's appointment at Old Trafford is how Rooney will be utilised and whether he'll retain his place in midfield, as was the case for much of his tenure under previous manager Louis van Gaal.

Samuel provided quotes from the Red Devils star in another report, where the former Everton forward hinted that, after meeting with the new boss, Mourinho plans to use him in attack and expects "a lot of rotation in the forward positions."

Rooney said:

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Getting that mentality back, from being a midfield player to being a goalscorer again is what I've been working on all pre-season. 

I'd known for a long time I could play midfield if I had to, and the way United were playing as a team at the time it was the role I most enjoyed. 

But Jose has come in, he has seen me play in another position for 10 years scoring goals, and that's what he wants me to do. It's not as if it's a new position for me. I wasn't apprehensive at all. I was excited.

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Rooney signed off by underlining the importance of the Community Shield clash against Premier League champions Leicester City on Sunday: "I know it’s a one-off game, but we want to show we can win a trophy early on—we feel that’s an important event for us."

The England veteran described United as being in a "very good spot" as things stand, and that position will only become stronger should the club re-sign Pogba in a deal that's expected to shatter the global transfer record.