Paul Pogba has thanked José Mourinho for trusting him to take a penalty against Young Boys, with Manchester United’s manager returning the sentiment in a further sign that relations between the two are easing. Pogba’s comments came after he scored twice in the 3-0 Champions League victory at the Stade de Suisse on Wednesday, his second goal coming from the spot.

Paul Pogba hits double as Manchester United start with win at Young Boys Read more

“I didn’t have any doubts about taking the penalty,” he told MUTV. “I know I missed that one against Burnley – Joe Hart got me that time – but I won’t do the same mistake. I had the confidence of the players, they let me take it and I should thank them for this, as well as the manager – he let me.”

Mourinho praised the Frenchman in turn. “I like the player to have the courage to take a penalty after one that he missed,” he told MUTV. “He missed against Burnley. The next penalty the team has he is there to take it, to make it 2-0 and to kill the game for us.”

At the start of the season there was speculation Pogba wanted to leave United. Yet after the defeat of Leicester City in the opening match, Mourinho said he had never been happier with the Frenchman and their latest comments indicate a further upturn in the relationship.

Pogba is intent on continuing the form that has given him four goals in six games for his club, having managed six last season and nine in the previous campaign. His opener at Young Boys featured him making a run from midfield to near the area before a left-foot finish.

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The victory was United’s third in a row, all away from home, following successive defeats by Tottenham and Brighton.

“When you win you are happy but we are still trying to get better,” Pogba added. “We are changing the team and the players that come in feel like they are already in the team and that’s what we need.”

United’s next three Champions League group games are against Valencia at home followed by two meetings with Juventus, the second of them in Turin.

Pogba said: “We needed to start well. We did it and got the result we wanted. Maybe the performance should have been better but we have the result and the three points so we are very happy. I’m happy as well to score the goals that were decisive in the win.”

United did not have any issues with the artificial pitch. “When we trained the day before it was a bit strange because we are used to playing on grass but we had to win and the result was the most important thing,” the Frenchman added.

The team, however, were unable to fly back until Thursday because Berne’s airport closed at 10pm on match night. Mourinho, looking ahead to Saturday’s home game against Wolves, said: “Old Trafford was amazing with us in defeat [against Spurs last time] and now they are waiting for us after three wins away when the team showed the character, the personality, the desire, the commitment – we showed all of that in that in these three matches.

“I think Old Trafford has the reasons to be waiting for us with a good feeling against a good opponent, an opponent that comes to us with a feeling of success because they had huge success last year in the Championship and are doing well in the Premier League, so it will be difficult. We have to go and play after two days [back in Manchester]but that’s life and I know Old Trafford will be behind the boys.”