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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Sport
Darren Wells

Man Utd "environment" blamed for Anthony Martial struggles - just like £31m ex-teammate

Anthony Martial has been given confidence he can bounce back from his Manchester United nightmare after being assured his struggles were all down to his "environment".

The Frenchman has joined Sevilla on loan until the end of the season after becoming increasingly frozen out at Old Trafford following a row with interim boss Ralf Rangnick.

It was not the first time Martial disagreed with a United manager, after previously falling out with Jose Mourinho during a spell where his troubles on the field really began.

Many feel the move to Sevilla is a step down for Martial, 26, and signals the beginning of the end of his career at United, which has ultimately flattered to deceive.

Yet former Liverpool legend John Barnes believes the switch could kick-start Martial's career again, just like it did for ex-Man Utd flop Memphis Depay.

HAVE YOUR SAY : Will Anthony Martial be a hit at Sevilla? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section.

Anthony Martial has joined Sevilla on loan until the end of the season (Getty Images)

Speaking to BonusCodeBets , Barnes said: "It’s all about the environment you’re in as a professional footballer. He’s obviously a very good player which is why he was at Manchester United, but things just didn’t work out for him.

“Early on, Martial did really well; but he was inconsistent and that lead to his demise. It’s a similar situation to Memphis Depay when he was at Manchester United, he’s gone on to do well after playing at there, so maybe the environment didn’t suit him.

“It hasn’t worked out for Anthony Martial, but he’s young, he wants to move on and find somewhere to play really well for the club. Sevilla could be a really good move for him, his time at Manchester United shouldn’t be a total reflection on him as a player.”

Man Utd have had their fair share of problems throughout Martial's near-seven year stay, over which he has featured under four different managers.

United beat off big competition to land Martial in a world record deal for a teenager back in 2015, and he started life at his new club off with a bang under the tutelage of Louis Van Gaal.

That was more than can be said for Depay, who was bought for £31m just four months prior but lasted just 18 months in Manchester before being sold to Lyon.

Depay (now 27) was able to reignite his career in France however, and has since moved on to Barcelona.

Meanwhile Martial's career has stuttered, after a long-running disagreement with Mourinho where his manager criticised him several times publicly.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's arrival looked to be the turning point Martial needed, but he failed to live up to his billing as United's next great No.9 as the goals dried up last season, despite persistent backing from the Norwegian.

His relationship with Rangnick has been far from smooth, with Martial forced to deny claims he refused to play for United in a recent fixture after being left out of the matchday squad, contrary to Rangnick's comments.

Martial's agent had already made it clear back in December his client wanted to seek a move elsewhere, with Sevilla eventually the chosen destination despite interest from Juventus and Barcelona.

It is thought Martial opted for a move to the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan Stadium as it is where he feels he will get the most game time after a period sitting in the shadows behind the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Edinson Cavani.

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