Samba shuffle on the trail of hero Pogba

WHEN Floyd Samba scrolls through YouTube, he can’t help but stumble across videos of Paul Pogba, a midfielder he idolises and who bears at least a passing resemblance to him stylistically.

- By TYRONE MARSHALL

Samba might only have turned 16 earlier this year, but he already stands above 6ft, which is unusually tall for a central midfielder. Like Pogba, he often plays as a No. 8 but has the physical profile to contribute in pretty much any central position.

Pogba, 32, hasn’t played a competitive game for more than two years, and it’s been at least five years since he was one of the best, if not the best, central midfielders in Europe.

So Samba is relying on childhood memories and an online video archive for his memories of the France international.

That could change soon, with Pogba on the comeback trail with Monaco, and he could feature against Manchester City in the Champions League next week.

Samba will be lining up against the Ligue 1 club’s Under-19s in the UEFA Youth League that day, having produced a dazzling performance on his tournament debut against Napoli last week. One of the youngest players on the pitch was also one of the most imposing.

“My idol is Pogba. Pogba’s my favourite player of all time,” Samba said after that 2-0 win. “Just the way he plays, I try to be as composed as him as well. His quality is top, technique and everything. Tall as well, like me.