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IT was as long ago as January 2012 Darren Fletcher warned me that a young Frenchman, by the name of Paul Pogba, at Manchester United had almost every attribute needed to go on and become the best midfielder in the world.

Fletcher not only played nearly 350 times for United but, while the Scotland star was recovering from ulcerative colitis, he coached Pogba with the United reserves.

Moreover Fletcher was the kind of midfielder Jose Mourinho adored.

Indeed the Special One tried to sign the Scot whilst he was building his treble-winning side at Inter Milan.

Who better to vouch that not only is Pogba worth the world record transfer fee but that while United’s new purchase already has the imposing power of one of the Premier League ’s greatest players he’s also got comparable technique to one of the best passers in the club’s history.

“This is the prototype player for English football,” Darren told me this week at Hotel Football opposite Old Trafford.

“If you could computer-design the perfect composite of abilities for someone you want to dominate and win the Premier League Paul’s precisely that.

“Right now he’s got the size, power and athleticism of Patrick Vieira but what people might not have seen is that he’s going to develop technique and passing skills to rival Paul Scholes.

“He can ping a ball 50 yards, move it short, create openings.

“He’s 23 now but by 24 or 25 he’ll be the best at box to box, he’ll score headers, he’ll score from distance, he’ll generate goal assists, he’ll win you attacking and defensive headers - he’ll have some of the best footballing technique anywhere in the world.

“Paul’s got so much talent that under Mourinho he’ll be able to develop and instead of usually playing in wide midfield for Juve he’ll either be able to organise in front of United’s defence in that central midfield role ... or be deployed as a No.10 or ‘second striker’.

In January 2011 Fletcher was recovering from the illness which snatched valuable seasons away from him at the peak of his exceptional career.

We met up to watch Barcelona draw 2-2 with Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey and, post match, fell to talking about a couple of kids, Ravel Morrison included, who he thought oozed ability.

“I told a few people at the time that I believed Pogba would go on to be one of the best, if not the best, in the world given what I’d seen,” he explained on Thursday.

“While I was working to recover my fitness I helped Warren Joyce coaching the reserves/U21 and Paul was one of our specific projects.

“This was a guy who was likeable, easy to teach, good to work with and bursting with evident ability.

“But back then if there was one thing that he required to improve it was his defensive duties.

“Simply the idea of tracking runners, concentrating, making good positional decisions.

“Paul was already something like 6’2” or so but had the skills of Nani.

“Even when he played with guys who were older than him he seemed big, powerful and athletic … and if he mis-controlled something then he’d just stick out one of those big, long legs into a tackle.

“He was also quick so there was a time when Warren and I put on specific drills aimed at teaching him about wider responsibilities in the team.

“He had such athletic capabilities that he could get himself out of trouble simply by sprinting or tackling if there had been a situation which he could have anticipated better.

“Warren and I wanted just to teach him to be reading the game, seeing a couple of passes ahead.

“Now it looks to me as if that’s the player he’s become. Honestly, I can’t speak highly enough of either his skills when I was helping coach him or his personality.”

Pogba, like Fletcher at the beginning of his United career, often played wide - just as he often did while winning a sackful of trophies with Juventus.

The row which followed the young Frenchman opting to leave United for free, and criticism of the club for not playing him in central midfield, disappointed his Scottish tutor. But he recalls: “Sir Alex really liked the lad, very much."

Had it not been for the two-year battle with ulcerative colitis – which once he’d won it – left West Brom captain Fletcher with a record of starting and finishing all but two of his 58 matches for the Baggies – Pogba would need to be competing with the Scot in United’s midfield.

That said, he feels this is the ideal time for club and player to be reintroduced.

Also that the price may prove a sound investment.

“He ticks all the boxes. Made for English football, he knows Manchester like the back of his hand, he’s got friends throughout the club - he left a kid and he’s come back a man.

“Look at Mourinho’s team and what he likes - height, power, hunger, aggression, competitive intelligence.

“Pogba fits right in. The fee mustn’t bother him. I’d tell him it’s just irrelevant.

“Like with Rio, like with Rooney. “There was a fuss about the money it cost to get them but if you look at the years of service, success and trophies then their prices look really shrewd investments.

“The evolution of fees mean there’s always going to be a steady rise towards a figure which people gasp at.

“But as soon as there were deals of £50m and £80m it was just a matter of time until some club deemed a player worth investing £100m in.

“And while football remains the best, most popular sport on the planet and it’s expanding rapidly in the US and China then I don’t see this ‘bubble bursting’ moment in the future.

“What I see happening is that United will react well to Pogba signing.

(Image: Andrew Couldridge/Action Images)

“Players around him, just like with Zlatan, will try to show the new guys how good they are.

“I know from experience that when a ‘big salary’ guy comes in everyone tries to impress him.

“Also, in Michael Carrick he’s got one of the best teachers - a guy who’ll help that final development of knowing how to read the game and anticipate so that even more than now Paul’s ability to use his power and athleticism will be taking him into positive situations around goal rather than getting him or his team out of a problem.

“Carrick will pass on his knowledge.

“My vision is that in 10 years we’ll be looking back at this purchase and it’ll look like a pivotal moment, the right player, the beginning of good times and a good financial investment.”