Man United midfielder Pogba 'angry, appalled' by media treatment

Reports in the Middle East claimed the Manchester United midfielder had stepped down from global football after comments from France's president Emmanuel Macron alleging that Islam was the source of worldwide terrorism.

He later added a full statement, confirming he would be taking legal action.

The dramatic chain of events for the 2018 FIFA World Cup victor comes after the beheading of a school teacher Samuel Paty, which Macron described as an "Islamic terrorist attack".

It has been reported that Paty was targeted for showing cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad to his students.

There appears to be little connection between the comments made by Macron and the speculation surrounding Pogba's worldwide future, aside from the fact that the 27-year-old is a high-profile Muslim male. "I am taking legal action against the publishers and spreaders of these 100% Fake News", Pogba wrote on Instagram.

It said Pogba considered the decision as an insult to him and to French Muslims, especially since Islam is the second religion in France after Christianity.

Pogba feature for France for di Nations League earlier dis month

The Manchester United player, who is a practising Muslim, said he is "appalled, angry, shocked and frustrated" at being the subject of "fake headlines" amid current events in France.

"I dey against any and all forms of terror and violence".

Pogba said the reports had created "a gossip chain without caring it affects people's lives and my life".

Meanwhile, as he faced widespread condemnation for his speech, Macron said that France would continue to stand by universal values of liberty, equality and fraternity and defend freedom of speech, and "respect all differences in a spirit of peace". "But hey, seems you did it again and on a very serious topic this time, shame on you!"

"You've got a player who's won the World Cup, he's been dominant in Europe with Juventus, he's Manchester United's record signing and yet he can't get in the team at the moment".