Anthony Martial

Anthony Joran Martial (French pronunciation: ​[maʁ.sjal]; born 5 December 1995) is a French professional footballer who plays as a forward 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.

Playing youth football for CO Les Ulis, he began his professional career at Lyon, then transferred to AS Monaco in 2013 for a fee of €6 million. 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.

Club career

Early career and Lyon

Born in Massy, Essonne, Martial spent his youth years in Paris-based CO Les Ulis from 2001, the same team who produced French internationals Thierry Henry and Patrice Evra. Evra closely monitored the progress of Martial, and allowed him to play in one of his pairs of football boots at the age of 12. At the same age, Martial trialled at Manchester City.