Anthony Martial made a dream start for Manchester United yesterday, announcing himself at Old Trafford with a stunning goal against Liverpool. Most of us will know very little about the French 19-year-old, who has seemingly come out of nowhere to become the most expensive teenager in world football. But United clearly saw raw potential, paying £36million for Martial while he only had 13 professional goals to his name.

After seeing him in action for the first time in the Premier League we can see he possesses technical ability, as most players who come out of the French Ligue 1 do. It looks like he loves to take defenders on with that speed and power we saw a glimpse of yesterday.

It’s easy to draw comparisons to another certain Frenchman – but I think it’s dangerous to compare Martial to the classy Thierry Henry. There are some similarities – both coming from Monaco and both using their lightening pace to run at defenders from the left, cutting onto their right foot. But the price tag alone is enough pressure for such a young man, and any more weight on his shoulders could be damaging.

Louis Van Gaal is going to do what it necessary to protect him, as he has done with many young talents, including myself, that have broken into the limelight over the years. Van Gaal commented that the fans always want to see more of a player when they score a debut goal, but it’s important to bring him into the setup slowly.

United have only had three days to get to know Martial, but after a transfer fee that even Van Gaal called “ridiculous” he couldn’t have done anything more than score the goal that sealed victory against their bitter rivals.

He’s certainly made a good first impression, and it will be interesting to see how his season develops at Old Trafford. He might be a star in the making, but we should keep our expectations realistic as he settles down and matures in Manchester.

#mmlove