Manchester United striker Anthony Martial has admitted he was worried about the intensity of the Barclays Premier League ahead of his move to Old Trafford.
The France international became one of the stories of last summer when, as a teenager, he moved from Monaco in a deal that could end up costing United more than £60million.
Anthony Martial's goals this season across all competitions in 30 seconds.
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— Luke_Shaw (@ManUniteddMUFC) March 28, 2016
He has since eased concerns over the transfer fee, which even manager Louis van Gaal described as ‘ridiculous’, contributing 12 goals and six assists in 38 appearances in his debut campaign.
Like many foreign imports, there were doubts over whether Martial would be able to cope with the rigours of English football.
And the 20-year-old has confirmed that while he had similar fears prior to his arrival, they did not last long.
‘At the start I was scared because I had heard a lot about the intensity of the English game,’ Martial told French radio station RTL.
He made his debut as a 65th-minute substitute in September, scoring a brilliant goal in a 3-1 victory over rivals Liverpool and quickly knew he had what it takes.
‘I realised during the matches that I was able to keep up, and I was very happy about that because as a youngster I struggled to finish games,’ he said. ‘At the age of 17 they said I needed to work on my endurance.’
When asked if he was more afraid of the intensity of the tackles within English football, Martial replied: ‘No. With all tackles you just need to know how to avoid them and not injure yourself.
‘But I love the English game, it was really everything I wanted.’
Martial also admits he regularly feels the wrath of Van Gaal in training but says he has learned to laugh off the Dutchman’s anger.
Manchester United's Anthony Martial says he has learned to laugh when Louis van Gaal yells https://t.co/obx5UKB5ie pic.twitter.com/aKMDBTY9ol
— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) March 28, 2016
‘If I misplace a pass or I take a poor touch, he is the first I hear who is screaming at me,’ Martial said. ‘It makes me laugh because I know it is for my own good.
‘He wants me to be a perfectionist and I think if I can be then I will progress.
‘He has allowed me to progress enormously, he has also given me an enormous amount of confidence and I think it is thanks to this that I have succeeded with my start at Manchester United.
‘He is a very good coach. In his nature he seems cold on the exterior but he is a very good coach. He is nice. When we win, he is happy.’ – Daily Mail