Former Manchester United striker Louis Saha has praised Anthony Martial’s impressive form this season and believes the 20-year-old has as much quality as Thierry Henry did at that age.
Martial joined the Reds in August and it was felt at the time that he would be a prospect for the long-term future. However, the former Monaco man immediately proved his class by scoring a sensational debut goal against Liverpool and he currently has 12 goals from 39 appearances.
United’s no.9 has long been compared to Henry and Saha is well placed to comment on that link, given that he played with the Arsenal legend when earning his 20 international caps with France. Louis was quick to agree while speaking to MUTV at the recent #ILOVEUNITED event in Bahrain.
"He has definitely got the quality and the platform for working really hard at Manchester United," Saha said. "When you get that, you get the experience under your belt of being at a big club and you get respected easier with France. When you see him, he has as much quality as Thierry Henry at this age.
"Thierry was a really decisive player and that is where Martial needs to work; he needs to be more precise and give more indication to his game.
"Everything seems to be easy for him: being on the ball, being strong, holding the ball at the right moments, getting important goals and being able to play week in and week out. He hasn’t played this many games during his career so he has done really well to adapt his physique.
"What I really like about him is that he is willing to improve. He is listening and trying to get things going. He hasn’t been helped because the team hasn’t been performing consistently, so imagine if a few players stepped it up? Then it would have been even easier for him."
Competition for places up front is something else that will improve Martial in the long term, according to Saha, who jostled with some big-name strikers in his five-season career at United.
"Sometimes when you are a quality player you have to challenge yourself," Louis told us. "It may be good to have more strikers who will really challenge him and make sure he steps it up again and again.
"That is something that I had with Ruud van Nistelrooy, Carlos Tevez, Alan Smith, Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo. When you play around them you have to really perform every weekend, so that is something that United need to find as quickly as possible."
Martial is currently with the France national team during the international break and MUTVsubscribers will be able to watch him live on Friday night when Les Bleus face Netherlands in Amsterdam. Saha will be tuning in to the official club channel and feels his compatriots will do well.
"I am confident," he said. "The motivation of the boys - it is something that you look at. They have had average results lately and Didier Deschamps will ask his players to step up because he is now making his selection for Euro 2016. They will definitely be motivated and will show it on the night."
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