Anthony Martial is making a splash on the international scene with France in addition to his dramatic introduction to life at Manchester United.
The exciting teenager propelled himself into the hosts' plans for next summer's European Championship finals with an accomplished full debut during the 2-1 friendly win against Denmark on Sunday evening, earning plenty of
plaudits for his performance in a wide role on the left.
After setting up the opening goal for Arsenal attacker Olivier Giroud, United's new boy will surely be in the frame to feature in next month's high-profile international friendlies against Germany and England.
Clearly brimming with confidence, Martial's only disappointment on the night was a failure to get on the scoresheet himself, largely due to a smart save from Leicester City's Kasper Schmeichel in the second half.
"I think we had a very good game," Anthony told L'Equipe TV. "We had the possession and created some chances, although I think we could have been more efficient and won the match 3-0 or 4-0. I would have wanted to score but the most important thing is we won.
"Playing for France is a childhood dream come true so I’m simply trying to enjoy it as much as possible. Victories make these matches even better. I have no pressure. The coach [Didier Deschamps] tells me to play my game, not to put any particular pressure on myself, and that’s what I try to do - and that worked pretty well in this match."
Deschamps is delighted to have Martial as a fresh option for his side and is aware the 19-year-old can add a new dimension to Les Bleus as he plots his tactics for next year's big tournament.
"I think Martial is best suited as a lone striker," stated the France coach. "Even though he also played on the left flank in Monaco. Anthony has the capacity to play in both roles. He has quality with his pace and his ability to go past the opponent and that brings a bit of variety to our game.
"It was a good performance from him, a very interesting one with a lot of play in terms of movement and take-ons [beating opponents]. He still has a few things to improve upon but he created very interesting situations for us."
Former France international Bixente Lizarazu, who is now a TV pundit, declared Martial his Man of the Match after the forward played for 88 minutes of the victory in Copenhagen.
"He’s been a key player," Lizarazu told RTL. "He added variety to his game and, with his pace, he can make an instant impact. And there’s the quality of his dribbling, not to mention his passing game: he gave an assist to Giroud.
"I think that his capacity to provide an all-around match like this, even though he’s only 19, means he provides an additional weapon. Deschamps needs to use him smartly because he’s young and needs to be protected. But I believe it’s the greatest satisfaction coming out of this match."
Patrice Evra was also full of praise for Martial following his performance against Denmark and the former United defender admits he was impressed by his new international team-mate.
"It's the first time I've seen him in a match," Evra told Goal.com. "He was impressive. I told him at the end of the game: 'I hope that you hydrate well and stretch well. Keep accelerating like that.' Every time he touched the ball, he drove and he created something."
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