World Cup winner Paul Pogba has been labelled a show-off by Abdoulaye Doucoure, but the Watford midfielder insists that is a good thing.

The World Cup winner has come in for criticism from some quarters for his form since returning to Manchester United in 2016, despite winning the Europa League and helping Jose Mourinho’s team to a second-place finish last season.

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A lack of consistency and tendency to resort to apparent showboating has frustrated some United fans, but Doucoure says his former France youth international teammate has always played that way, and it is what has enabled him to get to the top of the game.

‘Since U16, I played with him,’ said the Watford midfielder. ‘And he was, physically, the same today. He was in advance of everyone. He had his technique.

‘He was the same. He likes to show off a little bit, but he’s a very nice guy, very natural. Today there’s a different dimension, because he is a superstar, but he was always the same.

‘He has this personality because he is good on the pitch. Benjamin Mendy as well, brings a lot of personality, shows off sometimes. It’s good in football.’

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Doucoure will come face-to-face with Pogba at Vicarage Road on Saturday and he knows the 25-year-old poses a big threat to the Hornets’ unbeaten start to the Premier League campaign.

He added: ‘Of course, he is a very important player for Manchester United. We have to be aware of him, he will be very dangerous for us.

‘[But] we are in the best condition because we have had a very good pre-season.

‘This year everyone wants to be in the top 10. We think we can do something, we have a very good start. We just want more now.’