Anthony Joran Martial is a French professional footballer who plays as a forward and winger for Premier League club Manchester United and the France national team. He was the recipient of the 2015 Golden Boy Award for the best under-21 player in Europe.
According to journalist Philippe Auclair, Martial plays in a style similar to former French international Thierry Henry, with speed and technical ability both in wide positions and up front. Henry himself praised Martial after his goalscoring debut, while Martial himself refuted the comparison, saying "I don't think we have the same type of game – he was very quick whereas I rely more on power and technique. But it's always good to be compared to great players".
Playing youth football for CO Les Ulis, he began his professional career at Lyon, then transferred to AS Monaco in 2013. He was a member of Monaco's squad for two seasons, and signed for Manchester United in 2015 for an initial fee of £36 million which could potentially rise to £57.6 million. This is the highest fee paid for a teenager in football history even before the potential increase. He scored in his first match for United, and was named the Premier League Player of the Month in his first month in English football. An international for France from under-16 to under-21 level, Martial made his senior debut in 2015. He was named in their squad for UEFA Euro 2016. |
