Martial In 'Another Galaxy' At United

Anthony Martial's transfer to Manchester United has been a hot topic of discussion at France’s national-team gathering this week.

Martial was called up to the French senior squad for the first time last week but was granted leave to complete his move to United from Monaco on Tuesday.

The 19-year-old striker is now back with his France colleagues in Clairefontaine after a whistle-stop trip to the Aon Training Complex.

“I barely had the time to arrive and say 'hello', and it was almost time to go!” he admitted. “The club gave me a very warm welcome and I hope everything will go well.

“I had a restless night, but I’m very happy to sign for Manchester United: it’s a massive club and I hope to be able to show all I can do.

“There was a lot of hype but the most important thing will be to show everyone who I am on the pitch. In football, there’s no need to change: you just have to be yourself and keep your feet on the ground.”

Martial could be poised to win his first full cap in one of France’s upcoming friendlies, against Portugal on Friday and Serbia on Monday.

Les Bleus coach Didier Deschamps said: “He is a player with a huge potential – he’s just been called up by France! Everything has moved very fast for him since he left Lyon.

“Today’s transfer fees can be massive, but it’s less risky to invest in a young player than an older one.

“He’s signing for a massive club. He will be on another planet, in another galaxy! It’s up to him to continue his development and gain some time on the pitch.”

Another player called up by Deschamps is Morgan Schneiderlin, who said of his new United team-mate: “He is a talented and powerful striker, who’s compared to Thierry Henry… well, it’s you [the media] who make that comparison, but let’s not put too much pressure on him!

“I think he has big potential and his playing style will be suited to England. At a club like United, a striker is expected to score a lot of goals but he has to put this aside, believe in his talent and play like he knows how to.

“But knowing the United players, he’ll settle in very quickly and everything will be alright.”