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'Manchester United can win back the Premier League this season'

Dubai - Legendary Manchester United striker Dwight Yorke spoke to Khaleej Times on Pogba, Mourinho and his friendship with cricket legend Brian Lara

Dwight Yorke is definitely the right man to talk to on Paul Pogba - a young man who could soon become the first £100 million footballer.
It's a different ball game now obviously. Back in 1998 when Manchester United paid £12.6 million for Yorke's signature, few would have thought that the Trinidad and Tobago striker would start scoring for fun - 29 goals in all competitions - in the first season itself to help the Red Devils win the treble.
Now United is ready to break the world record transfer fee for French midfielder Pogba at a time when they are desperately trying to get back to the Champions League.
"The money is not relevant to me, but it gives you an indication which way the world football is heading at the moment," Yorke told Khaleej Times during an interview in Dubai on Thursday.

"The TV revenues play an integral part. But in terms of the player, well, this guy is familiar with the club, having spent two years at United. He has his physical strength and other attributes that the team has been lacking ever since the likes of Roy Keane and Paul Scholes left.
"Probably Pogba will bring that sort of credibility back to our midfield in some way but he is never going to be a Paul Scholes or a Roy Keane but he is going to be what he is - an aggressive midfielder that could make things happen going forward."
Looking ahead, Yorke believes United would soon become the team to beat under 'The Special One'.
"(Jose) Mourinho's arrival is exciting. I would have liked to see (Ryan) Giggs given that opportunity. But once they discarded that obviously Mourinho was the obvious candidate. I am delighted, as I know he would bring that winning mentality to the club. I think Manchester United can win back the Premier League this season."
Everybody knows Mourinho is obsessed with winning. He has already sent a clear message to Wayne Rooney that the striker has to soon regain his scoring boots to keep his place in the team.
"This has always been the philosophy at United. It's a club that doesn't guarantee you a starting position," Yorke said.
"What Mourinho has clearly said to all the players is that, 'listen if you want to be in my starting XI, you have to earn the right to be in it. I won't consider what you have done and achieved in the past. I am here as your new manager and you have to show me what you are capable of'.
"I think from a player's point of view, that is reasonable. As a player you want to be in the team on merit!"
Finally, Yorke opened up on his friendship with a famous countryman who merits a place in the pantheon of all-time cricket greats.
"I am very proud of my friendship with Brian Lara," he smiled.
"Who would have thought when we started off as kids that we would end up where we both ended up? We were boys who dreamed back in the days when we were literally a third world country. So it was a big thing even to dream of becoming professional sportsman those days.
"Lara was a couple of years older than me. We both played football and represented our country at junior level and it was wonderful.
"There was a cut-off time when we were around 14. That's when he decided to play cricket and I decided to continue with my football."
Yorke is now obviously proud of what they have both achieved.
"Who would have thought 20-30 years down the road we would make the kind of impact on the sports we chose to do? In Lara's case he went on to become the first man to score 400 and 500 runs. It just goes on to show that even though we are a small country we have people with big ambition," he said.
"In my case and Lara's case we proved that if people work hard and make sacrifices, they can achieve great things. Now the opportunity for the kids in our country is far greater.
"And we are delighted that we have played our part in our society and the Caribbean as a whole to inspire the younger kids because back in the days Lara had Sir Gary Sobers to look up to but from my perspective I had no one. I had to look up to some foreign individuals to get some inspiration.
"So now it's humbling to look back and think that we have done something to inspire the younger generation to live their dream."
rituraj@khaleejtimes.com