Manchester United’s big money signing Anthony Martial announced himself with a goal on his debut on Saturday afternoon.
Watching on for Sky Sports, Arsenal legend Thierry Henry saw Martial come off the bench to coolly finish and immediately draw comparisons to the great man himself.
Henry had a much slower start to his time in England but will be glad to see his countryman hit the ground running after he was put under huge pressure thanks to his price tag.
“I’m happy for him,” Henry said after the game. “They’re wondering if he spoke English – he proved he did with the ball.
“I love the finish, it’s a great finish for me. He freezes the keeper by looking up before he hits it.”
The finish was great, even Henry-esque, but any comparisons to the Arsenal legend are premature. They will no doubt surround a young French winger-turned-striker but, at 19 years old, it’s nonsense.
Henry is one of – if not the – greatest strikers to ever play the game in this country. Anthony Martial scored a great goal on his Manchester United debut but he’s a long way off emulating Thierry just yet.