Paul Pogba has labelled his difficult return to Juventus as his most testing season in football after being hampered by consistent injuries that saw him spend most of the campaign in the treatment room.
The Frenchman re-joined Juventus last summer following the expiration of his Manchester United contract, with the Serie A side's fanbase celebrating the World Cup winner's arrival.
However, things quickly turned sour with Pogba hampered by a first injury during pre-season and despite being advised to undergo surgery, opted for a non-invasive treatment plan that didn't work.
He was subsequently forced to undergo knee surgery in September and missed the Qatar World Cup with France as rehabilitation continued in Italy.
The 30-year-old eventually made his first competitive appearance of the season for Juventus in a 2-2- draw with Torino in February, before again being side-lined through injury a few days later while practicing free-kicks in training.
A final issue forced Pogba's season to end prematurely when he suffered a low-grade thigh injury just 21 minutes into his first competitive start of the season.
The midfielder has now explained that 'mental problems' were the main reason for his injuries and defiantly stated his 'most important victory' will be overcoming a torrid season at Juventus.
'The injuries that came this year are all due to mental problems. No season ever tested me as much as this one,' he told Calcio Mercato.
'My most important victory will be to overcome these extra-sports obstacles once and for all.'
Pogba was a popular figure upon returning to the club that he burst onto the scene during his breakthrough years, but irritated Juventus supporters when he went skiing in December while recovering from an injury.
At the time he had failed to make a single appearance for Juventus during his second spell at the club and decided to respond by mocking critics who had slammed him for appearing on the slopes.
The conclusion of the end of the season saw Pogba provide another update to supporters, telling his social media following that he was feeling better mentally.
Speaking in May, Pogba said: 'First of all, let me recap my season, which has been very, very complicated, with problems both on and off the field.
'As you know, it has been truly difficult for me and what happened was tough, above all mentally.
'I tried to take solace in what I love: playing football, and working on the pitch, but that was not possible because I had a lot of bad luck physically. Now all I can do is be patient, but already today, I feel better mentally,' he added.
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