Martial Has Praise For United's Spirit

Anthony Martial has given an exclusive interview to the new issue of Manchester United's official magazine Inside United, which is out on Tuesday. 

In it, the Frenchman – who also adorns the mag’s cover, looking sharp in a portrait shot by Tung Walsh for Paul Smith – speaks at length about the season so far and recent matches, including the EFL Cup final victory. 

That was a triumph Martial puts down to team ethic and will to win. "We didn’t play that well but, you know, that spirit was always there,” he says. “We didn’t want to lose, we wanted to win at all costs. And we managed to do that by really applying ourselves to the task.”

In a wide-ranging discussion, the 21-year-old also puts his finger on what has made United a more difficult side to beat than last season, with the Reds suffering only a second defeat in the last 29 matches when narrowly losing 1-0 to Chelsea with 10 men in the Emirates FA Cup quarter-final.

“I think we are a lot more compact,” he suggests. “Much more solid. We’re enjoying our football and we always go out to win, and are determined that we’re not going to lose. I think that’s where our strength is coming from this season.”

Elsewhere in the magazine, there is a fascinating in-depth interview with Antonio Valencia, who was excellent again at Stamford Bridge. In a revealing and honest account of his 10 seasons and counting in England, the Ecuadorian lifts the lid on the challenges he faced when he first arrived here (“There were times when it got to the point where I wondered to myself, ‘What am I doing here?’”) and how sheer hard work helped him become a success at Wigan and then to thrive here at Old Trafford.

With Eric Cantona and Juan Mata also featuring, plus a celebration special on that fabulous day at Wembley in the EFL Cup final, the new issue of Inside United is packed with Red reading. It’s on sale now in newsagents, in the Megastore at Old Trafford and around the stadium on matchdays, or you can subscribe online (www.manutd.com/magazine).

Credit: Manutd.com