Anthony Martial may be struggling for form and fitness at Manchester United, but Juan Mata is backing the France international to enjoy an “incredible career”.
Big things were expected of the talented forward when he was snapped up from Monaco at just 19 years of age.
There have been flashes of brilliance from the versatile frontman, but he has contributed only 36 goals in 116 Premier League appearances.
Martial has faced criticism when it comes to consistency, while steering clear of the treatment table has been an issue of late.
He is, however, still only 23 and is considered to boast the potential which will allow him to grace the very top of the game.
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World Cup winner Mata, who has been a team-mate of Martial throughout his time in England, told Sky Sports: "I hope it's really big. He is an incredibly talented player.
"You can see that since the moment he arrived to the club in his first game against Liverpool.
"In every training session, the way he treats the ball, the way he takes on people, the way he can win a game by himself."
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Martial has made just three appearances for United this season, with a hamstring problem having kept him out of action since August.
The hope is that he will soon be ready for a recall, with Mata eager to see match-winning ability back at the disposal of under-fire boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
The Spanish midfielder said: "I love this kind of player with such big talent and I love to play with them.
"He is a very, very good player. He is still young and hopefully he has an incredible career ahead of him."
Martial managed two goals and an assist through his early outings in 2019-20, so has shown that he is capable of making an important contribution.
It could be that he becomes the man to lead the line for United, with Marcus Rashford yet to convince in a central striking role since the summer departure of Romelu Lukaku to Serie A giants Inter.
