Twenty-year-old tipped to be future Manchester United captain by leading pundit, but we have our doubts

Posted by

Anthony Martial was Manchester United’s hero on Saturday as he scored a stoppage-time winner at Wembley to send them into the FA Cup final with a 2-1 win over Everton.

SEE MORE: Video: Anthony Martial goal sends Man United to FA Cup final

And leading BBC Sport pundit Garth Crooks was so impressed by the Frenchman that he tipped him to be a future captain at Old Trafford when picking Martial in his Team of the Week.

“This lad looked a bit special the moment he walked into Old Trafford last summer,” Crooks told BBC Sport. “In fact he looks as if he could be a Manchester United captain one day.”

It is a strange thing to say about a 20-year-old who appears to be more of a silent assassin than a chest-pounding leader. He does not scream out as captain material from what we have seen.

Martial’s mutual facial expression has barely changed since day one! Can you ever imagine him giving his teammates a half-time dressing down, or inspiring them with a Churchillian speech?

He has shown that he has the potential to be a special player. That memorable debut goal versus Liverpool and his Wembley strike are the type of moments which shape great players.

They are two of his 14 goals in a hugely encouraging debut campaign in England, one which has only touched the surface of his talent. But the best players do not always make the best captains.

Martial may be United’s leading light, but to suggest that he can be their future leader is very premature. But, by the time that Wayne Rooney is ready to hand over the armband, that might have changed.

Follow @JoeFish08 on Twitter

SEE ALSO:
Manchester United to hand Jose Mourinho £300m transfer war chest
Four things learnt from Man Utd’s 2-1 FA Cup win over Everton, including Rooney revelation
Manchester United touting big-money flop around Europe after emergence of better prospects

More Stories Anthony Martial Garth Crooks