Rio Ferdinand advises ex-Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba after drugs ban

Paul Pogba, a star for Juventus and a former Man United midfielder, tested positive for the testosterone-boosting drug DHEA and received a four-year ban.

Paul Pogba says he will appeal his four-year ban for a doping offence (Image: Photo by Jonathan Moscrop/Getty Images)

Paul Pogba, a former Manchester United midfielder, has been banned from drugs for four years. Rio Ferdinand has asked him to come clean if he is innocent.

After testing positive for the banned substance DHEA, which boosts testosterone in the body, the Frenchman was handed a lengthy punishment last week. “I have today been informed of the Tribunale Nazionale Antidoping’s decision and believe that the verdict is incorrect,” Pogba said in a statement he issued when the ban was announced.

The loss of my professional playing career has devastated me, and I am sad, shocked, and brokenhearted about it. I have never intentionally or knowing taken any supplements that violate anti-doping regulations; however, the complete story will emerge once I am no longer constrained by legal obligations.

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No matter the stakes, as a professional athlete I have always played my game with the utmost respect and honesty. I have never once cheated or disrespected my teammates or the fans of any team I have played for. The decision was announced today, and I intend to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Just as Pogba has been through something similar, Ferdinand has as well. After a training session in 2003, he was fined £50,000 and banned for eight months for not providing a sample.

The ex-defender was unsuccessful in his appeal of the ruling. The 45-year-old is of the opinion that Pogba should come clean about his story as soon as possible.

I am in a good position to sit here and talk about this because I have been through it, Ferdinand said on his podcast Vibe with FIVE. I want to hear from him and get all the facts before I accuse him, because I’ve been in his shoes and know Paul.

My legal team and the club advised me to “let the lawyers handle it” and “hope they do the right thing by you” while the case progresses. In a perfect world, I would chat and tell everyone what happened if I were Paul Pogba right now and I was innocent.

They have handed him a four-year ban; I doubt it will be reduced to two if he appeals, because these individuals will be concerned about obtaining their blood supply, so I think it’s important for him to speak out, regardless of whether they believe it will affect the court case. He must ensure his own safety in this place.