Former Manchester United full-back Mikael Silvestre hopes out-of-favour forward Anthony Martial does not leave Old Trafford like Paul Pogba, urging the Frenchman to remain patient.
Martial burst onto the scene at Old Trafford last season, however the 21-year-old has been handed a reduced role at manager Jose Mourinho this term amid uncertainty over his future.
The France international, who was United’s leading goalscorer in 2015-16 with 17, has only started nine Premier League fixtures this season, missing the past three matches.
Silvestre – a five-time Premier League winner and Champions League victor during his nine years at United – has called on his countryman to bide his time in Manchester and not follow in the footsteps of Pogba, who left for Juventus in 2012 only to return in August.
“He had been their top scorer last season, but this year he’s a different player,” Silvestre told Talk Sport.
“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, like he did and head to Juventus.
“He has to stick around and show his character. The character is about being courageous, stick to it, and work harder – as he has been doing.
“[He can] learn from Ibrahimovic, and learn from Rooney, because those guys have done it and have got what it takes to win trophies.
“It’s the best place for a young striker to develop himself. It would be the same for Marcus Rashford.”
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