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Paul Pogba was United's influential Pied Piper for Marcus Rashford and a generation of Reds youngsters when he was only a teenager himself.

Now his former United youth team coach mentor Paul McGuinness believes the £89m world record buy will have a whole country copying the skills in his locker.

Ex-Juventus midfielder Pogba completed his move back to the club he left in 2012 in the small hours of last night and McGuinness, who helped his early United soccer education after the Frenchman arrived from Le Havre in 2009, sees a challenger to global superstars Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi in the making.

“He's on the verge of being a world star. He's not a Ronaldo or a Messi yet but he's the player with the biggest potential in world football at the moment,” said McGuinness who lost his Under 18s coaching role last season in United's revamp of the academy.

“Paul is capable of some fantastic and exciting things and it is all there for him.

“He's dedicated, he's committed and a good learner and you add all the natural attributes he has and you have a very special player with a special future ahead of him.

“He will be a big influence in England because young kids will want to copy the skills he will bring in the same way Cristiano Ronaldo brought new tricks to this country.

“You see little kids doing the tricks to this day that Ronaldo introduced all those years ago. Paul will have the same effect.

"He does things that young players and even his team mates will want to copy. It is fantastic for football in this country and obviously for United.”

Pogba signed for the Reds initially almost seven years ago and McGuinness was instantly impressed by the 16-year-old newcomer.

“We'd heard a lot of great things about him from Jim Ryan, Geoff Watson and Les Kershaw and we were keen to see him,” added McGuinness, who is now looking for permanent work again having served his gardening leave following his shock United exit.

“Then when he arrives and you see this 6ft 4inch midfielder, still a bit gangly at that point, but with great feet, balance, the ability to beat opponents with nice passing skills and that bouncing run he has and you know you've got something special.

“Then his personality came out as well. Sometimes it could be a problem when you have a foreign youngster coming into the club in that the English lads already there feel a bit threatened and maybe resentful. But Paul's personality ensured that didn't happen. It shone through. Everybody took to him straight away.

“He was also excellent with the younger players. He was like a Pied Piper to the kids we had in who were between 10 to 12 years old.

“We used to do something special on a Monday where we had mixed age groups and they had games in the 'cage' which are small confined playing areas.

“It was all about skills and all the flicks and drag backs you see him doing now he was doing then and between him and Ravel Morrison it was like a competition as to who could do something more skilfully outrageous.

“The younger kids watched that as well and tried to copy them and Paul was always encouraging them with a pat on the head here and a word there.

“It challenged them to improve themselves and even though he was only a teenager himself at the time he never stopped helping the younger lads.

“Players like Marcus Rashford who would have been about 12 at the time will remember that. That's why it is so good for United getting Paul back into the club because he knows all about the values there.

“He has a feeling for the club already. We always said that the players who came through the academy were the guardians of the Manchester United spirit. They were a band of brothers. Paul was a big part of that. He takes that feeling back so it is not a normal transfer. It has so many added extra advantages.”

Watch: Timeline of the British transfer record