Following his return to Juventus from Manchester United, Paul Pogba was awarded the legendary number 10 shirt.
Pogba’s contract with Manchester United expired last week following a difficult second stint at Old Trafford. Despite links with Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain, he chose to return to Turin.
The France star said on his return to the club via his Instagram page: “Back like I never left.”
Three seasons into his first stint at Juventus, Pogba wore the number six jersey before switching to the number 10 for his last season.
As a result of Paulo Dybala’s recent departure, the Frenchman will once again don the historic number 10 formerly worn by club icons such as Roberto Baggio and Alessandro Del Piero.
Baggio scored 115 goals in 200 games for Juventus, helping the club win the UEFA Cup in 1993 and the Serie A and Coppa Italia titles in 1995.
Del Piero spent 19 years in Turin, scoring 289 goals in 702 appearances and winning six Serie A championships and the 1996 Champions League.
It remains to be seen whether the weight of the renowned shirt will inspire the former Manchester United great who experienced an injury-plagued final season with the club.
Six years ago, Jose Mourinho brought the midfielder back to Old Trafford for £89 million. Despite the euphoria around his return, things swiftly deteriorated, resulting in public spats between the Portuguese manager and the player.
Pogba was also embroiled in several altercations with United supporters who were dissatisfied with his performances for the club compared to those for France.
However, the 29-year-old has the chance to turn the page in Turin, where he is still highly regarded from his first stint, in which he scored 34 goals and assisted 40 in 177 games across all competitions.
Fans went to the club’s headquarters to see Pogba’s return, so he had no reason to be concerned about how he would be treated in Turin.