Marcus Rashford's Paul Pogba message as former Man Utd star finally returns

Manchester United loanee Marcus Rashford has given his response to Paul Pogba's message following his return to football. The midfielder made his comeback to competitive action over the weekend.

The 32-year-old has enjoyed two stints with United in his career, first as a promising youngster before making a return to the club in 2016 from Juventus for a record-breaking fee at the time. Rashford is a product of United's youth system, although he's currently plying his trade on loan at Spanish heavyweights Barcelona.

Pogba bid farewell to Old Trafford for the last time in 2022 when his contract expired and he completed a free transfer back to Juventus. However, during his second spell in Turin, he was hit with an unexpected doping ban.

The French international was given a provisional four-year ban from football in February 2024 after testing positive for dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), a result that came from a sample taken the previous August. Pogba has always maintained his innocence, claiming it was an error and he had been administered a supplement without being informed it contained a prohibited substance.

His suspension was shortened, and he was given the green light to return to football in March this year. He became a free agent when his contract with Juventus was mutually terminated at the end of 2024, and he signed for Ligue 1 outfit AS Monaco in June.

Pogba has been forced to bide his time before returning to action due to the need to regain match fitness, as well as injuries pushing back his debut date. He eventually made his bow this weekend when he appeared as a late substitute in Monaco's 4-1 away loss at Rennes.

Taking to Instagram on Sunday, Pogba said: "Last night was unforgettable. Stepping back on to the pitch after two years away meant more to me than I can express.

"To the fans, thank you for the love, the energy, and the belief. To everyone who stood behind me, supported me, and pushed me through every moment of this journey, I'm deeply grateful.

"This debut wasn't just mine... it belonged to all of you who never stopped supporting me."

Several of his former United colleagues have shown their backing in the comments section beneath the post. Rashford was among them, posting a straightforward red heart emoji.

United captain Bruno Fernandes also mirrored the message - from his earlier Instagram story - with the remark "Pogback," whilst Jesse Lingard responded: "The boy's back."

Pogba entered the pitch as a late substitute in the 85th minute, though the contest was effectively beyond Monaco by that point as they were trailing 4-0, with a late consolation strike making it 4-1 during stoppage time. This week, though, the midfielder will be hoping to accumulate more playing time with a vital Champions League fixture against Pafos.

That's followed by an away clash with French heavyweights Paris Saint-Germain next weekend.