Manchester United attacker Jesse Lingard believes teammate Paul Pogba has been unfairly criticised during his time at Old Trafford.
Pogba returned to the club from Juventus on a deal worth £89.3m in 2016, racking up 99 league appearances since.
But as United's wait for a title challenge continues, the World Cup winner continues to get stick from some supporters and pundits.
In an interview with Sky Sports, teammate Lingard was asked whether the Frenchman is unfairly criticised.
He responded emphatically, saying: "One hundred per cent. Not many people know him and what he is like off the field but we see it day in, day out, week in, week out and I have grown up with him from the age of 16.
"I know what he is like. He is a great guy, a great family man. He loves his football and he always gives one hundred per cent, day in, day out, game in, game out as well."
In a 'teammates' feature, Lingard selected Pogba as the best player at Old Trafford, saying the former Juventus midfielder has taken on a leadership role at the club.
"I grew up with Paul and when he first came, you could see the technical ability that he possessed at such a young age," he added.
"He has grown with that and gone on to win the World Cup and many trophies with his previous club Juventus and obviously with us at Man United.
"So, he is kind of an all-round player, a complete player. What I like about him is that he is always positive - he has that good energy off the field.
"No matter how bad people talk about him, he is a humble guy, a great guy and one of the best guys you can meet. He is always positive, picking the lads up when they are down and that shows on the field as well.
"It's hard for lads to get the ball off him, he is so strong.
"I think he has become a kind of leader type as well over the years and he has taken that responsibility on really well."
