Anthony Martial has lifted the lid on his relationship with his former managers at Manchester United, revealing tough times under Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, and a more pleasant period under Louis van Gaal.
The France forward has had a topsy-turvy time at Manchester United since joining from Monaco for €60 million in September 2015 as a 19-year-old.
He started well at the English club under Van Gaal but he has since battled with injuries and inconsistent form, even going on loan to Sevilla last season.
He began an interview with France Football, published today, by talking about his time with Jose Mourinho, who was United manager from 2016 to 2019.
“It started with the story of the shirt number. During the holidays, he sends me a message to ask me if I want to take 11, explaining to me that it’s great, because it was worn by the legend Ryan Giggs,” Martial told the French magazine, referencing the time he lost his No.9 jersey to new signing at the time, Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
“I tell him that I have the greatest respect for Giggs, but that I prefer to keep my No.9. When I return to the club, I see my jersey with the No.11, the story did not start well! He disrespected me, straight up.”
His problem with Mourinho did not end there, as he recalls how the Portuguese manager repeatedly criticised Martial and other young players like Marcus Rashford and Luke Shaw in the media after poor results.
“He [Mourinho] was talking about me in the press,” the Frenchman added. “He likes these games, but he also knows who he is doing it with.
“He knows that I am 20 years old then and that if I say something, it is I who will be the young person who lacks respect.
“The second season [at United], I was the team’s top scorer in the first part of the season, he [Mourinho] brought in Alexis Sanchez and I hardly played anymore. It cost me dearly. I should have been there [2018 World Cup].”
Martial went on to narrate how his form dipped after being made to play through the pain barrier by Mourinho’s successor Solskjaer.
“The last two seasons, I have regularly played injured,” he explained. “People don’t know that, I couldn’t accelerate during the four months following the Covid season. Solskaer tells me that he needs me, so I play.
“Given my game, if I can’t accelerate, it becomes very complicated. And I get criticised — the coach never bothered to tell the media. Obviously, I end up getting injured for good and when I come back, finished, I don’t play anymore.
“I took it very badly. I had a feeling of injustice. You are asked to sacrifice yourself for the team and behind you are dismissed. For me, it’s almost treachery. That’s all I hate. I can be blamed, but not for being fake.”
The 26-year-old has often been bashed for his cold demeanour during games, but he insists it is his personality not to show emotion just for the sake of it.
“Basically, I have to display my disappointment after a missed opportunity so that people don’t say ‘Ah, he doesn’t really care’. I’ll tell you simply: I’m a footballer, not an actor,” he says.
“A lot of people think you have to be a little comedian and I see players who show their rage so that the public and the media think they are motivated. All the media circus does not interest me. I cannot change to please others.”
He however admitted that he should have done much better at United after costing the club so much at such a young age.
He said: “I am not immune to criticism. When people say that I lack consistency, it’s true. When I have my place, it often goes well, but when I’ve been used less, it’s true that my performance has not been the same.
“It’s a vicious circle: I’m less efficient, because I play less and therefore I play even less. When it’s like that, I can sometimes drop out a bit. A player like Cavani, he’s at 3000% even when given few minutes.”
Martial ends the interview by praising Van Gaal, the Dutchman who took him to Manchester United but coached him for only one year.
“I had a great relationship with Louis van Gaal the first season,” he noted. “I love to learn and when a gentleman like him takes the time to make me watch videos of my matches to explain things to me, it is the best.
“Once, he [Van Gaal] made me come to watch videos to set me on fire when I had scored two goals. He wanted to talk to me about running angles, movement zones, etc. I said I understood and he said he liked my character.”
Martial is currently out with an injury after playing for only 45 minutes this season, in the 2-1 over Liverpool in August, in which he assisted one of the goals.
