Speaking on his YouTube podcast, Rio Ferdinand said: "I am well placed to talk about this because I have been through this. I am not going to jump in straight away and say Paul Pogba is guilty as I have been in this position and I know Paul, I need to hear from him and see some facts.
"I was told by my lawyers and the club, let the lawyers deal with it and let it run its course and hope they do the right thing by you. If I had my time again and I was Pogba now and I'm innocent, I'm chatting, I'm telling the people this is what happened.
"I think he needs to speak — whether they think it messes up the court case or not — they have given him a four-year ban, I don't think it will be two if he appeals because these people will want to make sure they get their amount of blood. He has to look after himself here."
Following an official investigation, Pogba has been banned from football for four years after testing positive for testosterone-boosting drug called DHEA.
With the former Manchester United midfielder turning 31 this month, the punishment effectively means that his professional career is all but over.
