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Anthony Martial
Anthony Martial 27 September 2017 cropped.jpg
Martial playing for Manchester United in 2017
Personal information
Full name Anthony Jordan Martial
Date of birth (1995-12-05) 5 December 1995 (age 29)
Place of birth Massy, France
Height 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in)
Position(s) Forward
Team information
Current team
AEK Athens
Number 26
Youth career
2001–2009 CO Les Ulis
2009–2012 Lyon
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2012–2013 Lyon B 11 (5)
2013 Lyon 3 (0)
2013 Monaco B 4 (3)
2013–2015 Monaco 49 (11)
2015–2024 Manchester United 209 (63)
2022 Sevilla (loan) 9 (0)
2024– AEK Athens 19 (7)
International career
2010–2011 France U16 17 (9)
2011–2012 France U17 13 (9)
2012–2013 France U18 4 (3)
2013 France U19 5 (0)
2013–2015 France U21 12 (4)
2015–2021 France 30 (2)
Medal record
Representing  France
Men's football
UEFA Nations League
Winner 2021 Italy
UEFA European Championship
Runner-up 2016 France
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 10:00, 12 May 2025 (UTC)

Anthony Jordan Martial (born December 5, 1995) is a French professional footballer. He plays as a forward for Super League Greece club AEK Athens.

Martial started his youth career at Les Ulis. He then joined Lyon before moving to Monaco in 2013. In 2015, he signed with Manchester United for a record fee for a teenager at that time. He won the Golden Boy Award in 2015, given to the best young player in Europe.

During his time at Manchester United, Martial helped the team win the 2015–16 FA Cup and the 2016–17 EFL Cup. He had his best goal-scoring season in 2019–20, scoring 23 goals. In 2022, he played for Sevilla on loan. He left Manchester United in 2024 and joined AEK Athens.

Martial also played for France's national youth teams. He made his debut for the senior French team in 2015. He was part of the squad for UEFA Euro 2016, where France finished as runners-up.

Anthony Martial's Football Journey

Early Days and Lyon

Anthony Martial was born in Massy, Essonne, France. He started playing football at Les Ulis in 2001. This is the same youth team where famous French players like Thierry Henry and Patrice Evra also began. Evra even let a young Martial wear his football boots when he was 12 years old.

When he was just 14, in 2009, scouts from the Lyon academy noticed his talent. He joined their academy that year. In his second season with the Under-17 team, he scored an amazing 32 goals in 21 games. This led to him being called up to the France national under-17 football team.

Martial made his first professional appearance for Lyon on December 6, 2012. This was in a Europa League match. He played his first Ligue 1 game in February 2013.

Time at Monaco

Anthony-Martial-2015
Martial playing for Monaco in 2015

On June 30, 2013, Monaco signed Martial to a three-year contract. He was 17 years old when he made his first league appearance for Monaco in November. He scored his first goal for the club in his first start, a 2–0 win against Rennes.

In his second season at Monaco, Martial scored nine goals in 36 Ligue 1 games. He scored a last-minute goal against Paris Saint-Germain in October 2014. In August 2015, he scored his first goal in a European competition. This was in a UEFA Champions League qualifying match against Young Boys.

Joining Manchester United

Big Transfer to Manchester United

On September 1, 2015, Martial moved to Manchester United. He signed a four-year contract. The transfer fee was £36 million, which was the highest amount ever paid for a teenager in football at that time. This broke the previous record set by United for Luke Shaw.

Manchester United's manager, Louis van Gaal, said Martial was a player for the future. Martial himself said he was "so excited" to join United. He always wanted to play in the Premier League.

First Season Success (2015–16)

Anthony Martial 2015
Martial playing for Manchester United in 2015

Martial made a fantastic debut for Manchester United on September 12, 2015. He came on as a substitute against Liverpool and scored a great goal in a 3–1 win. Just eight days later, he scored two goals in his first Premier League start against Southampton.

His early performances were highly praised. Former United manager Sir Alex Ferguson said Martial "can do anything." Martial won the 'PFA Fan's Player of the Month' award for September. He also won the 'Goal of the Month' for his goal against Liverpool. He was named Premier League Player of the Month for September, becoming one of the youngest players to receive this award.

In December 2015, he won the Golden Boy award. This award recognizes the best under-21 player in Europe. Martial was crucial in the FA Cup semi-final in April 2016. He assisted one goal and scored the winning goal against Everton. He finished the season as the club's top scorer with 17 goals.

Winning More Trophies (2016–17)

Manchester United v Wigan Athletic, January 2017 (13)
Martial playing for Manchester United in 2017

Under new manager José Mourinho, Martial continued to play for Manchester United. He scored his first goal of the season against Stoke City in October 2016. In November, he scored two goals in a 4–1 win against West Ham in the EFL Cup.

Martial helped United win the 2017 EFL Cup Final against Southampton. This was his third trophy with the club. In May, he also won his first European trophy. He came on as a substitute in the 2017 UEFA Europa League Final, which United won.

Later Seasons at United

Martial often started the 2017–18 season as a substitute. However, he still managed to score goals from the bench. He scored against West Ham, Swansea City, and Everton. He also scored in the League Cup and Champions League.

In the 2018–19 season, Martial scored his first goal in the Champions League against Young Boys. He then scored in five consecutive league games for Manchester United. This made him one of only seven players to achieve this for the club. He signed a new five-year contract with Manchester United in January 2019.

For the 2019–20 season, Martial started strong by scoring against Chelsea. On June 24, 2020, he scored his first hat-trick for the club against Sheffield United. This was United's first Premier League hat-trick in seven years.

In the 2020–21 season, Martial received his first red card. He scored his first league goal of the season in December 2020. He also scored two goals in United's record-equalling 9–0 win against Southampton in February 2021.

Loan to Sevilla and Departure

On January 25, 2022, Martial was loaned to Spanish club Sevilla until the end of the season. He scored one goal in 12 games for them.

Martial played his last match for Manchester United in December 2023. On May 27, 2024, he announced he would leave the club after nine years.

Joining AEK Athens

On September 18, 2024, Martial signed a three-year contract with Super League Greece side AEK Athens. He scored his first goal for his new club on October 30, 2024. This goal helped AEK Athens win 1–0 against Aris in the Greek Cup.

Playing for France

Youth National Teams

Martial played for various French youth national teams. He scored five goals for the France national under-17 football team during their qualification for the 2012 UEFA European Under-17 Championship. He scored a hat-trick against Northern Ireland.

He also played all five games for the France under-19 team in the 2013 UEFA European Under-19 Championship. They finished as runners-up in that tournament.

Senior National Team

Martial v England 2015
Martial playing for France in 2015

On August 26, 2015, Martial was called up to the senior French squad for the first time. He made his debut on September 4, 2015, in a friendly match against Portugal. In October, he made his first start for France and assisted a goal.

Because of his strong performances, Martial was chosen for France's squad for Euro 2016. France reached the final but were defeated by Portugal. He was also on the standby list for the 2018 World Cup squad, but he did not make the final team. France went on to win the World Cup that year.

How Anthony Martial Plays

Martial's youth coaches noticed his talent very early. They said he could run straight to the goal even as a six-year-old. He was often placed in older age groups because of his advanced skills.

Journalists have compared Martial's playing style to former French international Thierry Henry. Both are known for their speed and technical ability. Martial himself said he relies more on power and technique.

Opponents have found him very difficult to mark. He is quick and also very skilled with the ball. While he can play as a centre-forward, he mostly plays on the left side of the field. Martial prefers to play up front, but he always puts the team first.

He has great speed and dribbling skills. This makes him hard for defenders to stop. He is also a calm and effective scorer in front of the goal.

Personal Life

Anthony Martial comes from a family of Guadeloupean descent. His older brother, Johan, is also a professional defender. His cousin, Alexis, is also a professional footballer. The Martial family believes strongly in education. His youth coaches describe him as a shy and quiet person. Martial is a Roman Catholic.

Career Statistics

Club

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup League cup Europe Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Lyon B 2012–13 CFA 11 5 11 5
Lyon 2012–13 Ligue 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 4 0
Monaco B 2013–14 CFA 4 3 4 3
Monaco 2013–14 Ligue 1 11 2 3 0 1 0 15 2
2014–15 Ligue 1 35 9 3 2 3 1 7 0 48 12
2015–16 Ligue 1 3 0 4 1 7 1
Total 49 11 6 2 4 1 11 1 70 15
Manchester United 2015–16 Premier League 31 11 7 2 2 1 9 3 49 17
2016–17 Premier League 25 4 3 1 3 2 10 1 1 0 42 8
2017–18 Premier League 30 9 4 0 3 1 8 1 0 0 45 11
2018–19 Premier League 27 10 2 1 1 0 8 1 38 12
2019–20 Premier League 32 17 5 1 4 1 7 4 48 23
2020–21 Premier League 22 4 4 0 2 1 8 2 36 7
2021–22 Premier League 8 1 0 0 1 0 2 0 11 1
2022–23 Premier League 21 6 2 0 3 2 3 1 29 9
2023–24 Premier League 13 1 0 0 2 1 4 0 19 2
Total 209 63 27 5 21 9 59 13 1 0 317 90
Sevilla (loan) 2021–22 La Liga 9 0 3 1 12 1
AEK Athens 2024–25 Super League Greece 16 7 4 2 20 9
Career total 301 89 37 9 25 10 74 15 1 0 438 123

International

Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team Year Apps Goals
France 2015 6 0
2016 9 1
2017 2 0
2018 1 0
2019 0 0
2020 7 0
2021 5 1
Total 30 2
France score listed first, score column indicates score after each Martial goal
List of international goals scored by Anthony Martial
No. Date Venue Cap Opponent Score Result Competition
1 1 September 2016 Stadio San Nicola, Bari, Italy 13  Italy 1–0 3–1 Friendly
2 4 September 2021 Olimpiyskiy National Sports Complex, Kyiv, Ukraine 29  Ukraine 1–1 1–1 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification

Awards and Achievements

Manchester United

France U19

  • UEFA European Under-19 Championship runner-up: 2013

France

Individual

  • Golden Boy: 2015
  • Premier League Player of the Month: September 2015
  • PFA Fans' Premier League Player of the Month: September 2015
  • UEFA European Under-19 Championship Team of the Tournament: 2013
  • Manchester United Goal of the Season: 2015–16 (vs. Liverpool, 12 September 2015)
  • Manchester United Players' Player of the Year: 2019–20

See also

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