When it comes to Manchester United debuts over the past decade, you don’t get much more impressive than Anthony Martial.
10 years ago this month Anthony Martial came off the bench to make his debut against Liverpool, and became an instant hero.
Martial’s magical debut goal made him an instant hero at Manchester United, with fans believing the club had signed the next global superstar.
A decade on, Martial has gone global in another sense. He is now playing on the other side of the world in Mexico.
Manchester United released Martial in 2024, before he was signed by AEK Athens. Just recently they sold him to Monterrey for a £850,000 fee.
Photo by Azael Rodriguez/Getty ImagesAnthony Martial blows big chance on Monterrey debut
Anthony Martial came off the bench to make his debut for Monterrey in their 2-2 draw at home to Club America.
Martial was thrown on in the 89th minute after Club America had just scored an equaliser to pull back a 2-0 deficit.
And in stoppage time, the perfect opportunity presented itself for Martial to become an instant hero, just like he did for Manchester United in 2015.
The difference was that this time Martial lacked his sharpness and ruthlessness, losing possession when he could have shot, or squared the pass to his teammate.
Martial was called out by AS Mexico, with the headline: “Anthony Martial’s mistake that cost Rayados the win.”
The write-up described: “He had a chance to score in the 90th minute. He had the ball in the box and tried to spin it, but the ball went behind him and he couldn’t get a shot on goal because the defence took it away from him.
“In fact, he had his teammate, Sergio Canales, in a better position to get a shot on goal.”
Anthony Martial optimistic
Anthony Martial, 29, was unveiled at Monterrey ahead of the game and spoke about his determination to succeed at the Mexican club, who rank second in Liga MX.
Martial told Record: “I’m really excited to be playing for this team. They’ve been really good to me, and I hope I can get back into the game quickly to show the fans what a great player I am.
“I want to win every tournament, score a lot of goals, and help the team win.”
Martial’s debut demonstrated that he is a little rusty, but he is convinced that if he can start enjoying his football again, success will follow.
“When I’m on the field, I just try to enjoy myself because football is about playing, enjoying myself, smiling, and if you do that, I’m sure you’ll do well.”
In 24 games for AEK Athens, Martial scored nine goals and provided two assists.