Manchester United

Jose Mourinho: 'I have faith in Anthony Martial'

By Giuseppe Labellarte, Reporter | 18 August 2017

Jose Mourinho insists that he has faith in Anthony Martial and backs the 21-year-old to show a big improvement in his third season with Manchester United.

Jose Mourinho has backed Anthony Martial to show improvement this season with Manchester United after announcing that he has faith in the winger.

The Frenchman had a stuttered season last time round, starting just 18 Premier League games during the 2016-17 campaign.

Martial failed to make the starting lineup for last weekend's 4-0 win over West Ham United but impressed after coming on with a goal and an assist.

Mourinho, meanwhile, has been vocal in his desire to add a wide player to his squad this summer, but when pressed on the issue, he stressed that this was not a dig at the 21-year-old.

"I have faith in Anthony," Mourinho told reporters during Friday's press conference. "Probably the player I was looking at was not a pure winger because I have pure wingers.

"Probably the player that I was looking for is a player that allows me to play with three at the back and play wing-backs.

"Because - as a pure attacking player - Anthony is a good player. He is one of the players I believe is going to have a better season this season than the previous season.

"I look at some of my players and I am sure that some players are going to be better. Anthony is that for sure."

Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly launched a bid to sign Martial, but United are believed to have rejected the North Londoners' advances.