Get the biggest United stories, analysis and transfer window updates delivered straight to your inbox Subscribe Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

Michael Owen believes Paul Pogba is on a 'different level' to the rest of his Manchester United teammates.

Pogba has endured an injury plagued season and has only managed seven appearances so far due to an ankle problem.

Before Sunday, the Frenchman hadn't featured since he made a brief return to face Rochdale in the Carabao Cup and Arsenal towards the end of September.

He finally made his long awaited comeback in United's turgid 2-0 defeat to the Premier League's bottom side Watford.

Pogba was introduced as a substitute with 26 minutes remaining and immediately showed United what they had been missing, as he brought a level of creativity and spontaneity that had been sorely lacking.

He me have played less than a third of the match but he was easily United's only positive on a dire afternoon and Owen has compared him to some of the game's most legendary midfielders.

"He's on a different level," the former United striker said.

"I had that throughout my career, the likes of Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs, Steven Gerrard, [Zinedine] Zidane.

"Players like that, as soon as you're thinking of something, they've already thought of it. You're just on a wavelength that is beyond any other player on the pitch in many ways.

"And you see Paul Pogba straightaway there, soon as he comes on, he's spotting things that no one else has spotted."

Pogba has returned just in time for the busy festive period, in which United will face Newcastle, Burnley, Arsenal, Wolves in the FA Cup and Man City in the Carabao Cup in just 12 days and Owen thinks Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will be grateful to have him back.

"He's creative, he scores goals. He's everything that they are missing in that central area," Owen said prior to Sunday's defeat.

"[Solskjaer] will be absolutely delighted that he's got his creativity back."