Manchester United’s former No.9 has shown his support for the club’s current holder of the iconic number.
Dimitar Berbatov was full of praise for Anthony Martial when speaking to MUTV recently.
The two strikers featured together at AS Monaco during the closing stages of Berbatov’s career and the start of Martial’s. The Frenchman even assisted the forward against Arsenal in a 3-1 Champions League tie at the Emirates in 2015.
Throughout his career at the Red Devils, the Bulgarian netted 56 goals. He was a fan-favourite amongst the Old Trafford faithful and is regarded as one of the club’s best strikers since leaving in 2012.
Martial’s time in Manchester has been somewhat stop-start since arriving. Whether it’s through fluctuating form or injuries, the 26-year-old has struggled to have consecutive standout seasons.
In the 2022/2023 campaign alone, Martial has missed 15 matches through three separate injury issues. Given the fact he was Erik ten Hag’s first-choice centre-forward heading into the season, the club have had to improvise and consequently, score fewer goals than they should be.
Berbatov’s praise for Martial
Berbatov said (via the Man Utd website): “I have my love for certain players in the [current United] team. For Anthony Martial, it’s because I used to play with him.
“I want to see him play, I want to see him go out there and do what he can do. I hope he can stay fit – and that goes for every player, for sure.”
In Martial’s short cameos for the Reds this season, he has been able to contribute four goals and two assists, showing his ability to be prolific when fit.
Berbatov reflected on the demands of the English top division: “The Premier League season is a tough one, it’s a long one, and you need to listen to the physios, listen to your coach.
“Sometimes they are going to rest you, you aren’t going to play. That’s obviously another tricky point. If you play, play, play and score, then you don’t want a rest because it’s going to stop your flow, it’s going to stop your rhythm.
“So this is a very tricky balance, to know how to manage and to keep the players happy and their rhythm going. But if the [players] stay fit and stay healthy, I think the quality they’ve got in the team means they [United] will be fine.
“He had a great pre-season, you’re fired up, your confidence is up there. And then you get an injury and that can be a problem. That can be something that stops your confidence, stops your flow. And then you need time to get fit and you need to get integrated back into the training process and into the games.
“If that happens, let me tell you, it’s not a pleasant feeling. It can be a fast process or a slow process. Other players are playing football, so you need to catch up to them. Other players are getting into the team. So that’s why I say the most important thing is to stay fit. Stay fit, be smart.”
