Paul Pogba has publicly refuted claims made by Wayne Rooney that he and former teammate Jesse Lingard danced in the Manchester United dressing room after losses. Pogba, visibly frustrated, addressed the accusations that have resurfaced, stating his disappointment at hearing such allegations from a club legend like Rooney.
The claims were first discussed by ex-United player Rio Ferdinand on a podcast, where he recalled Rooney’s view that Pogba and Lingard danced inappropriately, even after defeats. Pogba, who spent two spells at Manchester United, from 2009-2012 and 2016-2022, directly responded in an interview with Sky Sports, denying the accusations.
“I want to clarify,” Pogba stated. “I heard Wayne Rooney say that we lost a game and me and Jesse were dancing in the changing room. You always need a witness, OK? If someone can confirm what Rooney said, I will accept it. If there is not, it is not true. Lingard never confirmed that because I am a very bad loser and I respect the club.”
Pogba further emphasized his surprise that Rooney, a player he respects greatly, would let such rumors spread without clarification. “Wayne Rooney, a legend of the club, sitting there and not saying anything. Do you think that matches?” he questioned, expressing his disbelief.
The controversy began when Rio Ferdinand shared an incident from his time at United, revealing that he had once called Rooney to express concern about Pogba and Lingard’s social media presence. According to Ferdinand, he was upset about their dancing on Instagram during a period when United were struggling in the league.
“I rang Wazza [Rooney] when I saw Paul Pogba and Jesse Lingard dancing on Instagram when we were sixth in the league,” Ferdinand recalled. “I rang Wazza and said, ‘What’s going on here? How are you allowing this?’ And he said you can’t say nothing, man, it’s not the same anymore.”
Despite these tensions, Pogba also made it clear that he harbors no ill feelings towards former manager Jose Mourinho, with whom he had a famously rocky relationship during his time at Old Trafford.