Schweinsteiger’s backing for Martial

Thursday 15 December 2022 07:00

Former Manchester United midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger believes that striker Anthony Martial “can be one of the best” if he believes in his abilities.

Bastian was part of the United first team when Martial arrived at the club from Monaco in 2015.

The French forward has since overcome injury issues and looks to be getting back to his best under current Reds boss Erik ten Hag.

Ahead of the season’s resumption, and with Martial returning to full fitness over the winter, Schweinsteiger says his former team-mate has the capabilities to really kick on.

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Schweinsteiger: I really enjoyed it at United

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“His potential is immense,” he said of the forward, during an interview with MUTV’s Mark Sullivan. “I remember very well when he arrived at United, and he scored the goal against Liverpool in a special way.

“With him, you need to give him confidence. But you also need to push him sometimes, you know, and then he can be one of the best players.

“But he has to understand that first, you know, and that’s the job of the coaches and also the team-mates. If you play with someone like him, you want to see the quality of this player all the time. You expect it because you know what this player is able to do."

He added: “When I played with him, my goal was always to put him in the right position with the ball. So to give him the ball in the right moments where he can show his abilities the most. Like one against one, one against two, with the ball, facing the opponents' goal.

“They are the moments he [is] waiting for, and then he’s actually producing. At the end of the day, what matters for him is goals and assists.”

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Martial was in scintillating form for Ten Hag’s side during pre-season, but only sporadically contributed in the first part of the season due to injury problems.

However, having now recharge his batteries, the 27-year-old will be striving to hit the ground running for the Reds in the second part of the season, and take the next step in fulfilling his potential.

United return to action on Wednesday 21 December, taking on Burnley in a Carabao Cup fixture at Old Trafford. Martial will be eager to feature for Ten Hag’s side, and the forward’s availability is a welcome boost for the Dutchman.

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