Pogba ranked 25th best in Europe...next to Will Grigg
Real Madrid target Paul Pogba was voted by journalists as the joint 25th best player in Europe, alongside Euro 2016 sensation and Northern Ireland substitute Will Grigg
The list of votes for the UEFA Best Player in Europe Award 2016 sprang a rather large surprise when they were revealed on Monday. Will Grigg, a Northern Ireland player who spent the entirety of his country’s Euro 2016 campaign on the substitutes bench, was ranked in the same position as Paul Pogba, who currently finds himself in the middle of a €120 million transfer tussle between Real Madrid and Manchester United. Grigg and Pogba were voted in joint 25th place in the UEFA shortlist, next to Godin, Chiellini and Lloris.
Will Grigg's on Fire
In spite of not playing one minute at the tournament, Grigg – who plays his club football at Wigan – became one of the symbols of Euro 2016. The 25-year old was the creator of the Northern Ireland goal that secured their passage to France last year, prompting one fan to post a video on the internet in dedication to striker’s qualification heroics. The cover song – which borrowed the tune of 1990s pop classic ‘Freed from Desire’ and changed the words to ‘Will Grigg's on Fire’ – promptly went viral and became one the most heard chants at the European Championships.
Pogba leaves journalists unimpressed
The UEFA Best Player list was compiled with votes from various journalists from the organisation’s 54 member countries. While many of those who voted for Grigg surely did so with tongue-in-cheek, Pogba’s position at 25th in the list reflects just how many people were left unimpressed by his performances in France.