Paul Pogba's match worn Adidas Predator 19+

Player name: Paul Labile Pogba

Country: France

Clubs: Roissy-en-Brie, Torcy, Le Harve, Juventus, Manchester United

Position: Central midfield

DOB: 15/03/1993

Height: 6 ft 3 in

Paul Pogba is a French professional footballer who plays for Premier League club Manchester United and the French national team. He operates primarily as a central midfielder, but can also be deployed as an attacking midfielder, defensive midfielder, and deep-lying playmaker. Born in Lagny-sur-Marne, Pogba joined the youth team of Ligue 1 side Le Havre in 2007, before a protracted transfer brought him to Manchester United two years later. After beginning his senior career with Manchester United two years later, limited appearances persuaded him to depart to join Italian side Juventus on a free transfer in 2012, where he helped the club to four consecutive Serie A titles, as well as two Coppa Italia and two Supercoppa Italiana titles. During his time in Italy, Pogba further established himself as one of the most promising young players in the world, and received the Golden Boy award in 2013, followed by the Bravo Award in 2014. In 2016, Pogba was named to the 2015 UEFA Team of the Year, as well as the 2015 FIFA FIFPro World XI, after helping Juventus to the 2015 UEFA Champions League Final, their first in 12 years.

We have managed to acquire a pair of Paul's match worn Adidas Predator 19+ boots which he wore during the start of the 2019-20 season. With Paul being one of the top players in the world, his match worn boots are like gold dust with there being very few on the market, especially pairs like these which are heavily worn and contain some unique modifications.

Pogba's performances at Juventus led to him returning to Manchester United in 2016 for a then-world record transfer fee of €105 million (£89.3 million).The fee paid for him remains the highest paid by an English club. In his first season back, he won the League Cup and the Europa League. In the 2018-19 season, he was named to the PFA Team of the Year. He is widely considered to be one of the best midfielders in world football, although of late consistency has been difficult for him to achieve due to injuries.

Due to a serious ankle injury originally sustained in September 2019, Pogba has been sidelined for most of the season. The injury ended up being reoccurring after the United medical staff rushed him back into action to early. During the 2019-20 season Pogba has worn only a handful of pairs of boots, we've managed to acquire this pair of his from the "Hard Wired" pack which Adidas released in July 2019.

Adidas have made this pair to measure to Paul's exact specifications in their Athlete Services factory, located in Herzogenaurach, Germany. Specially sized at a UK10.75, which in Adidas US sizing would be a 11.25. The boots made in this factory feature the UK size only on the inner label.

Pogba's Adidas Predator 19+ boots feature modified heels which are a padded leather material instead of the thick rubber you find on retail versions of this boot. They are also reinforced for extra protection, along with them being a slightly odd shape where they stick out more at the back, as they are made to his measurements this will be for his heel shape only. The modified leather heels on the Predator 19 boots seems to be a common customisation among elite pros, we've seen it on pairs of players such as Gundogan and Ozil, among others.

Internationally, Paul captained France to victory at the 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup and took home the award for the Best Player for his performances during the tournament. He made his debut for the senior team a year later, and featured prominently at the 2014 FIFA World Cup, where he was awarded the Best Young Player Award for his performances. He later represented his nation at UEFA Euro 2016 on home soil, where he finished as a runner-up, before leading France to winning the 2018 FIFA World Cup after scoring in the final.

Each boot has been personalised for Paul with his name along with his custom "PP" logo. This logo features on his special limited edition pairs which Adidas sell to the public. Some pitch markings are still visible on this pair from the last time Pogba wore them, with some wear and tear marks to the chrome effect finish on the SprintFrame too.

The central stud on each boot has been shaven down, this is likely to be to reduce the stud pressure at the middle of his forefoot. Small details like this make a difference when playing at the elite level, especially when your feet are as big as Pogba's!

Above is a close up image of Pogba wearing this exact pair during a Premier League match for Manchester United. The scratches and marks on the instep area of the SprintFrame of the left boot can in fact be matched to pictures of the boots.

Inside each boot, the soleplate has been reinforced with a thick layer of stiff plastic, this runs the full length of each boot. This is another common modification among Adidas' top players' boots, are the soleplates too flimsy? Pro's seem to think so...