Anthony Martial facts for kids
Martial playing for Manchester United in 2017
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Anthony Jordan Martial | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 5 December 1995 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Massy, France | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Forward | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Team information | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Current team
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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) | |||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *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.
Contents
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
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)
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)
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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
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
| 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
| 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
| 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
- FA Cup: 2015–16; runner-up: 2017–18, 2022–23
- EFL Cup: 2016–17
- FA Community Shield: 2016
- UEFA Europa League: 2016–17; runner-up: 2020–21
France U19
- UEFA European Under-19 Championship runner-up: 2013
France
- UEFA Nations League: 2020–21
- UEFA European Championship runner-up: 2016
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
In Spanish: Anthony Martial para niños
