London - French star Paul Pogba should have been Manchester United captain from the moment he arrived in 2016 and that might have prompted more consistency, former United midfield star Paul Scholes told the BBC on Friday.

The 25-year-old World Cup winner - who scored a superb goal in the 4-2 win over Croatia in the final in July - captained The Red Devils in their opening 2-1 win over Leicester City last Friday.

Scholes agreed Pogba has not performed at the level expected of him often enough - United manager Jose Mourinho dropped him for the Champions League Last 16 clash with Sevilla last season - and said the captaincy could be the answer.

"He showed desire against Leicester but he should show that every week," said Scholes.

"He should have been made captain when we signed him, give him some responsibility, there is not one standout person.

"Hopefully he can keep it, he started OK, nothing special but if he can thrive with responsibility then keep him with the armband."

However, if the United hierarchy thought the captaincy would calm speculation over Pogba's future -- he has been linked with a move to Barcelona - they were to be sorely disappointed.

Pogba told journalists after the Leicester match he would be fined if he commented about the situation with Mourinho with whom relations have deteriorated.

Pogba - who has been regularly criticised for not performing like a player who cost a then world-record £89 million when he joined from Juventus - is said to be especially exercised by Mourinho's comparisons between his form at the World Cup and for United.

Mourinho suggested Pogba played much better at the World Cup because he did not have his entourage round him nor the distractions of commercial obligations.