Patrice Evra has hailed the difference shown by Anthony Martial since his time at Manchester United.
The French striker has been in superb form since the Premier League’s return to action, and was the pick of the bunch as he hit a hat-trick in United’s last league outing against Sheffield United.
Martial’s treble ended a long wait for the club, with the 24-year-old becoming the first player to score a hat-trick since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement in 2013.
And Evra, speaking ahead to Sky Sports ahead of the clash with Brighton, believes Martial has shown great character up front, and looks a different player to the one he experienced towards the end of his time at Old Trafford.
On how United have responded since the Premier League’s return, Evra said: “I think they’ve benefited a lot from the pause, especially Paul Pogba. I was really surprised even when he came on against Tottenham.
“Against Sheffield, I loved the way United played - the spirit, you could see their enthusiasm. Of course, Martial scored his first hat-trick. I’m really happy.
“Martial, pardon my French, needs someone to kick his… every game.”
Evra added: “I think he had a brilliant start when he was playing under van Gaal.
“I remember his one episode, unfortunately, he let him down when they swapped his shirt (number) with Zlatan.
“When he came back, I remember we were in the national team, he received a call from the club and they said he had to give his No.9 shirt, and he was like, ‘No, absolutely not’.
“But after, Mourinho contacted him and said Zlatan is going to take the No.9 and you’re going to take the No.11.
“It’s not like I’m going to say Martial had not been playing well because of that number shirt, but it started from there.
“I remember at the beginning of the season, I went to Carrington and Martial was really upset and frustrated because he was injured.
“That’s really impressive because the last time I saw him, he didn’t have that enthusiasm and now you have the injury, you want to come back really fast to make sure you can help the team.
“From now, I think Man United will get the best from Anthony Martial - not just because he scored his hat-trick, but his attitude. He wants to play for Man United. Martial can destroy any defender, if he decides.
“That’s why he’s frustrating to many people because you know his talent. He’s one of the best No.9s, but he needs that aggression to score goals, the anger. I think it’s more about his personality.”
