Anthony Martial's downfall - how Manchester United ace went from 'new Thierry Henry' to unwanted man

As Anthony Martial slotted past Simon Mignolet in front of the Stretford end - and sparked a screeching Martin Tyler - on his Manchester United debut, the club believed they had a new star.

Expectations soared after his very next league game, away at St Mary’s, as Martial turned a young Virgil van Dijk inside out and scored a brace on his first Premier League start.

Later that year the Frenchman was awarded the 2015 Golden Boy award for Europe’s best under-21 player, an honour since received by the likes of Erling Haaland, Kylian Mbappe, and Jude Bellingham.

But eight years later, Martial’s best moment in red was still his first, and as he looks set to leave next summer there is a feeling of apathy not angst from United supporters.

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His substitution for Rasmus Højlund - who is still yet to score in the Premier League - was greeted with cheers from the home support in the Red Devils last league match at Old Trafford, a 0-3 defeat to Bournemouth.

Martial signed a five-year contract in 2019, and the club have the option to extend it for a further year. However, an extra year is extremely unlikely, and he will almost certainly be released as a free agent come next summer.

But how did Martial go from golden boy to unwanted man?

Manchester United’s number nine has struggled for consistency during his time at Old Trafford. He has only bettered his first-season goal tally of 11 once, despite being only 19 years old in his debut season at the club.

His best season in Manchester saw him bag 17 Premier League goals (23 in all competitions)