During his time at Old Trafford, Anthony Martial enjoyed some highs including winning two FA Cups, the Carabao Cup and the Europa League, but it’s fair to say he’s had some hiccups along the way
Anthony Martial was just 19 when he announced himself on the biggest stage of them all.
The world’s most expensive teenager fired home on his Manchester United debut against none other than bitter rivals Liverpool to send Old Trafford into overdrive.
The Frenchman had the world at his feet. But nine years on, Martial is leaving Man United with a whimper after managing just one Premier League goal in his final season at the club.
During his time at Old Trafford, Martial enjoyed some highs including winning two FA Cups, a Carabao Cup and the Europa League, but it’s fair to say he’s had some hiccups along the way. Here we look at two memorable moments.
Martial was sidelined for the opening weeks of the 2022/23 campaign but returned to score twice in the Manchester derby before picking up another injury and falling out of favour once again.
Upon recovering for a second time, Martial was involved in a training ground bust-up with United youth player Dan Gore. The incident occurred during the World Cup, while most of the squad was on international duty.
A frustrated Martial, who missed out on being selected by France, retaliated after the teenager caught him with a robust tackle. To the winger’s credit, he patched things up with Gore and the pair put the incident behind them.
That said, the spat was arguably the most notable piece of Martial news that season with injuries continuing to cause him problems, leading to speculation that Erik ten Hag was ready to part company with him once that summer window opened.
Of course, Martial remained at the club, but United have now failed to trigger the one-year extension in his contract meaning Ten Hag and co. have finally given up on trying to extract the Frenchman’s full potential.
Another key moment from Martial’s time at United was when he was stripped of his number 9 shirt. It was perhaps the first time during the Frenchman’s stint at Old Trafford that he realised he wasn’t considered one of the untouchables at the club.
Patrice Evra believes Jose Mourinho’s decision to strip Martial of the number to give to Zlatan Ibrahimovic knocked his confidence so much that it had him considering his future.
“I think he had a brilliant start when he played under Van Gaal,” Evra told Sky Sports. “Then I remember one episode, unfortunately, I think they let him really down when they swapped the shirt with Zlatan.
“I remember we were in the national team and he received a call from the club and they say you have to give your No. 9 shirt, and he was like, ‘no, absolutely not’. But after, Mourinho contacted him to say Zlatan is going to take the No. 9 and you’re going to take the No. 11.
“It’s not like I’m going to say Martial’s been not playing well because of that number shirt, but it started from there.” Martial’s agent Philippe Lamboley also claimed that the number being given to Ibrahimovic “affected” the player’s form, calling Mourinho’s decision “disrespectful”.
“The loss of the No. 9 shirt has been mentioned to justify his start to the season,” Lamboley told RMC Sport in 2016. “I am not going to lie to you. Yes, this has affected him, yes this surprised him, yes it disappointed him… for a few days.
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“But he is a professional. He then got back into the swing of things. Personally, I have not accepted this decision that I deemed uncalled for and disrespectful towards my player. This feeling, I have directed this towards Manchester United’s directors. We turn the page and move on but it’s hard to digest it.”
Martial said goodbye to the United fans in a statement on Tuesday in which he thanked them for their passion and loyalty. He wrote: “After nine incredible years at the club, the time has come for me to turn a new page in my career.
“Since I arrived in 2015, I have had the immense honour of wearing this shirt and playing in front of you, the best supporters in the world! You have been an unwavering support, through the good times and the difficult.
“Your passion and loyalty have been a constant source of motivation for me. I’d like to thank you from the bottom of my heart for everything you’ve done for me. Your songs, your encouragement and your love for the club are memories that will remain engraved in my heart forever.”
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