Manchester United news: Anthony Martial says he does get angry, is a striker first
The 20-year-old French footballer, Anthony Martial who was transferred to Manchester United from AS Monaco last summer – thanks to a record 36 million pounds deal – has spoken to Sky Sports in his first major interview since joining the Red Devils.
The youngster who proved the doubters wrong by finding the back of the net four times in his first four outings has stood firm on the fact that he does lose his temper once in a while despite his affable nature and has also told the sports channel that first and foremost, he is a striker.
When asked by Sky Sports’ Geoff Shreeves whether people misapprehend his temperament due to his body language on the pitch, the Frenchman replied, “I have always been that way, and people's opinions will not change it, but one must know that when I fail to score a goal I do get angry with myself.”
“I have always been like that and I have been told that quite a lot. It's true that everything just went very quick (when he signed for United), but I kept a cool head and focused on playing football. I have worked hard for it and today I am reaping the reward,” he added.
The recipient of the 2015 Golden Boy Award, for the best U-21 European footballer, has found the back of the net seven times in the Barclays Premier League this season. Four of the seven goals that Martial scored has primarily come from the left flank, where the Red Devils manager Louis van Gaal has fielded the 20-year-old for the majority of the season, displeasing a number of Manchester United fans in the process.
However, the ex-Monaco man during his interview to Sky Sports has insisted, “Foremost I am a striker, it doesn't bother me at all which position I play when I am on the pitch I just focus on helping the team that's all.”
“I just want to help the team, and when I score I am happier, I am a striker and that's how it goes,” the 20-year-old continued.
When asked how is he coping with the Premier League challenge, Martial stated, “The Premier League is more physically demanding than Ligue 1. I love English football, it's the best in the world in my opinion, and I hope to stay here for many years to come. It's true that the atmosphere here is quite different from the one in France, people live and breathe football here, and that's what I like, every footballer wants to play in the Premier League.”