ANTHONY MARTIAL divided opinion like few others in his nine years at Manchester United.
Now he’s transformed the opinions of Greek journalists in just one month with new club AEK Athens.
The French striker, now 28, has also pulled off an encouraging feat that he last managed for United in 2021.
Yet Martial was seen by many as epitomising the Old Trafford under-achievement since Alex Ferguson’s glorious reign ended in 2013.
He became the world’s costliest teenager when he arrived at United from Monaco for £36million – two years after Fergie retired.
But injuries and stuttering form plagued his Old Trafford career.
AEK took the plunge in September, handing Martial a contract until 2027 on their largest ever wages of £2.9million a year.
And it’s remarkable the way his fortunes have swayed since then – according to the Greek media.
The verdict on Martial’s debut against city rivals PAOK in October typified initial negativity.
He played just 14 minutes as a sub, touching the ball just four times.
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Yet that was enough for one journo to label his appearance “colourless, odourless, and tasteless”.
But the media also accepted it was far too early to assess Martial properly – and called for patience on the “out of form” attacker.
Now Martial has played five games in all, providing one goal and an assist.
More importantly, perhaps, he’s just stayed on for 90 minutes into two successive matches – which he failed to do for United in the past three years.
Now his improvement – and particular his potential – is being highlighted by analysts.
A Gazzetta journalist suggested Martial has “presented us with some first samples of his undeniable footballing quality” – although he has yet to “put his foot on the gas”.
Sport 24 went further by claiming the 30-cap star has made “a big difference in the creation part.”
And Martial’s attitude has also been praised – with his “body language” and “statements” showing he is “completely satisfied” with his choice of AEK.
Now it’s surely down to Martial to ram home his short-term progress with the consistency he lacked at Old Trafford.
