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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Sport
Rich Jones

Anthony Martial lifts lid on relationship with Jose Mourinho after Man Utd tensions

Manchester United star Anthony Martial never saw eye to eye with Jose Mourinho at Old Trafford.

The Frenchman was publicly criticised by his manager as the pair clashed and he found himself in and out of the side.

Martial has played an increasingly important role since Mourinho was sacked and replaced by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer last year.

He signed a new contract in January to secure his future and is set to avoid being part of Solskjaer's clear-out as he aims to rebuild the club.

Mourinho, meanwhile, has found his way back to management with Tottenham and is now the subject of a documentary by French TV channel RMC Sport.

Anthony Martial and Jose Mourinho did not see eye to eye at Manchester United (X03805)

They spoke to Martial about his relationship with Mourinho, and he admitted being frustrated by Mourinho's public criticisms, claiming it made him determined to prove his manager wrong.

Martial said: “It’s true that I’d have preferred it if he’d told me directly, there’s no need to say it in front of everybody.

"After that, you definitely want to prove him wrong. He didn’t start me during the first few games and each time I came on, I scored.

“In the end, he told me: ‘You see, now you understand what I wanted’. It can get to you. You just want to show him you deserve to be on the pitch.”

Martial says Mourinho made him determined to prove him wrong (RMC Sport)

Mourinho also spoke out on his relationship with Martial last year.

Speaking to L’Equipe in a wide-ranging interview, Mourinho was asked about his relationship with Martial, and whether it was comparable to that which he had at Real Madrid with Karim Benzema.

Mourinho famously criticised Benzema by declaring: “If I can’t hunt with a dog, I will hunt with a cat" and later added: "Karim's playing because I have got nothing else."

But he claimed that, in contrast to Benzema, there were personal issues with Martial and he needed to live up to his potential.

“With Karim, it was not a conflict, I just wanted to help the player – an incredibly talented player – change his mindset, help him reach his maximum,” said Mourinho. "To become a killer, a determined striker. I really enjoyed working with Karim.

“He [Martial] is a boy with a different personality. The thing I can say is that I hope he will reach a level commensurate with his real potential.”

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