Anthony Martial is a professional footballer who plays for English giants Manchester United and represents France internationally. The former Monaco man is best known for winning the 2015 Golden Boy Award as well as collecting the highest transfer fee ever paid for the services of a teenager.
Biography (Age)
Martial was born Anthony Joran Martial on the 5th of December 1995 in Massy, France. He is the last of three boys born to his parents who emigrated to France from Guadalupe. As a child, Martial was supposed to be shy and quiet except when he was on the pitch when he was not shy to show off his exceptional football skills. This prompted his father to enlist him at the Paris-based youth CO Les Ulis.
By the time he was 14, Martial was approached by scouts from Premier League club Olympique Lyonnais who invited him to join their ranks. He moved to Lyon and was placed in the club’s under-17 team where he distinguished himself from the other kids before being promoted to the Lyon B side. He also won a cap to make part of the French national under-17 team traveling to the 2012 UEFA European Under-17 Championship in Slovenia.
Anthony Martial’s talent was obvious to all. His coaches could no longer afford to keep him out and on 6 December 2012 he made his professional debut in the Europa League group stage. He then made three further appearances for the team that season before opting to move to the south of France in search of first-team football. Monaco reportedly paid Lyon €5m plus bonuses for signing Martial as he sealed a three-year deal.
Martial made his first senior appearance for Monaco on November 24, 2013, replacing Radamel Falcao. He marked his appearance by playing a part in the move that led to his team scoring the winning goal. Six days later, Anthony Martial scored his first goal for the club to further announce his name to the world. This prompted the principality club to offer the striker an improved deal to keep him away from suitors.
In the 2014/15 season, after Anthony Martial bagged nine goals, including a crucial last-minute equalizer against Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester United made the decision to bring him to England. The Red Devils have paid Monaco £36m, a record transfer fee for a teenager that could eventually rise to £58m through add-ons.
Despite some moaning about the amount paid, Martial was well received by his new club. He couldn’t have found a better way to prove he was worth all the money paid for his services as he marked his debut with a goal against arch-rivals Liverpool. He went on to score in each of his next four appearances, leading to a comparison between him and his mentor, Thierry Henry. Martial continued to strike goals and finished the season as the club’s top scorer with 17 goals.
On the international scene, Anthony Martial has become a full-fledged French international. He has made 18 appearances for Les Bleus so far, scoring just once.
Does Anthony Martial have a wife or girlfriend?
Anthony Martial is currently in a relationship with French reality TV star Melanie Da Cruz. The couple started seeing each other in 2016 after Martial dumped his wife Samantha Jacquelinet who he had been with before he was considered a teenage sensation. Jacquelinet is also the mother of her first child, Peyton, born in 2015.
It has been widely reported that while Martial and Jacquelinet were an item, the Manchester United footballer cheated on her with several women, including former X Factor contestant Emily Wademan, who she allegedly caught him with. Despite all the heartache, Jacquelinet was ready to stay and train with her man, who after a few months of incident broke her heart by calling time on their relationship. He quickly moved on to Da Cruz, who is three years older than him.
Martial and Da Cruz have been inseparable ever since and together welcomed a son named Swan Anthony Martial who was born on July 26, 2018.
Height, weight and other facts
Birth name: Anthony Joran Martial
Date of birth: December 5, 1995
Place of birth: Massy, France
Nationality: French
Height: 1.81m (5ft 11in)
Weight: 76 kg (175 lbs)
Zodiac sign: Sagittarius