The comparisons between Anthony Martial and a young Thierry Henry have been many and understandable.
But the transition from left winger to the more central position that Henry was granted when he moved to Arsenal seems to be eluding Martial, who has been repeatedly selected on the flank by Louis van Gaal.
Martial scored the winner for Manchester United during their FA Cup semi-final victory over Everton on Saturday evening, and the Frenchman has found the net on 14 occasions in total this season, his debut one in England.
But van Gaal doesn’t see Martial as a natural striker just yet, explaining after the game how he considers the 20-year-old a wide man right now. The Dutchman said:
“I like him on the wing, I don’t believe he is an out-and-out goalscorer like Ruud van Nistelrooy. In the future he might change, he certainly has the ability, but at the moment I see him as a wing player.”
He added:
“He has had an excellent first season in England and he can only get better with age and experience. He can improve further, I can see things in his game that he can work on, but the best way to improve is to play at a higher level and that is what he is doing. Marcus Rashford is the same. He is doing a good job in the striker’s position and it means Wayne Rooney can contribute more from midfield.”
