Manchester United

Mikael Silvestre hopes Anthony Martial does not "do a Pogba" and leave

By Danielle Joynson, Staff Reporter | 07 February 2017

Mikael Silvestre is hopeful that Anthony Martial will not walk away from Manchester United after being shunned by manager Jose Mourinho.

Former Manchester United defender Mikael Silvestre has suggested that Anthony Martial could walk away from the club if he does not get more game time at Old Trafford.

The Frenchman has been shunned from the starting XI by manager Jose Mourinho, failing to make an appearance in the club's last two fixtures.

Silvestre, who spent nine years playing for the Red Devils, has claimed that Martial's failure to cement a spot in the France national team at Euro 2016 and United handing his number nine shirt to Zlatan Ibrahimovic are factors in the striker's dip in form.

The former defender is hopeful that Martial will not do what Paul Pogba did and leave United to join Juventus, where the midfielder spent four years before returning to Old Trafford last summer for £89m.

"[He had] a very good season and adaptation to the Premier League and United," Silvestre told talkSPORT. "He had been their top scorer last season, but this year he's a different player.

"He had a difficult summer with France - he had a game where he didn't perform and he was out of the team - and you have to remember the episode of getting his number [taken away] for [Zlatan] Ibrahimovic to take. He was not happy about that.

"We always say when you have a good first season it's hard to [continue performing], and we have to put that on the fact he's still young and still learning. I hope he keeps patient, and won't do a Pogba and head to Juventus."

Martial, who has scored just six goals in six months, rejected reports that he is unhappy at United by tweeting to fans that they should not believe newspaper claims.