Anthony Martial playing with a smile once again in Greece | OneFootball

Anthony Martial has found a new lease of life after leaving Manchester United in the summer.

The Frenchman spent nine years at the club but his last few years were haunted with injury and poor performances.

He only managed 59 appearances in his last three seasons at Old Trafford, scoring 12 goals in the process.

Consequently, the Frenchman left on a free transfer last summer when his contract expired and despite taking a few months to find a new club, eventually landed in Greece to join AEK Athens.

It is safe to say he is enjoying his best performances for a very long time in the Super League Greece.

He is playing the most football he has in a long time, as he has played 1,367 minutes already this season and has found the back of the net nine times in 19 matches. The 29 year old is well on course to hit double figures for the first time since 2019-2020 when he smashed in 23 goals for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Martial has also provided two assists as his side sit second in the league, just two points behind Olympiacos.

The former Golden Boy winner was sensational at the weekend, scoring two goals in a 5-0 romp over Panserraikos. He was given a rating on Sofascore of 8.7 and also had an 81% pass accuracy and six shots on goal as he is proving too hot for Greek defenders to handle.

Martial is clearly popular with his new fans as they celebrated with him at an airport after he scored the winning goals versus OFI Crete in December.

He briefly danced with a fan and took a photo with the delighted supporter.

His boss Matias Almeida is also ecstatic with his contributions and recently commented, “since the day Martial arrived, we have seen that he has joined the group and contributes to the team. He is an excellent teammate and shows great professionalism.”

“He is good for many reasons, I think the game system also helps him. But I never single out one or two players. We are a group and this group fights all together.”

The revival of the French striker juxtaposes immensely with the poor form of United’s own strikers Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee.

The Red Devils have incredibly only scored 28 league goals in 24 matches and frequently struggle to get more than a handful of shots on target in matches these days.

Nonetheless, while Martial’s revival must be noted, he is also playing in the Greek league which is ranked 11th in UEFA’s rankings of leagues, a far cry from the top ranked Premier League.

Nonetheless, while Martial clearly would not be the answer to United’s problems, the majority of United fans will surely be glad to know that the exciting teen who burst onto the scene at Old Trafford with a sensational solo goal versus Liverpool in 2015 is finally enjoying his football once more.

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