Manchester United have a long history of paving the way for young talents to become global superstars, with the most notable examples including Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and Ryan Giggs.
The Red Devils have been blessed with a plethora of world-class players throughout their highly decorated history, with 20 English league titles, 13 FA Cups and three Champions League trophies in their cabinet.
However, while some youngsters shoot to stardom, others often struggle to fulfil expectations and cope with the weight of Old Trafford on their shoulders.
One recent example is a player whom former Liverpool midfielder Jamie Redknapp once tipped for greatness and even mentioned him in the same sentence as Lionel Messi.
Years later, the prediction proved wide of the mark, as he turned out to be one of the most expensive Man United flops ever.
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Redknapp Tipped Anthony Martial for Greatness
‘He's going to be a superstar’
Anthony Martial clapping
Redknapp, as quoted by TNT Sports, once tipped former Manchester United forward Anthony Martial to become a ‘superstar’ just after the Frenchman made his move from Monaco to Old Trafford in the summer of 2015:
“I watched Anthony Martial for 90 minutes in the Champions League and the only 19-year-old I've seen better at that age was Lionel Messi.
“I played against Wayne Rooney when he made his debut but this boy has so much intelligence. He knows when to pass, when to cross it, when to dribble and when to shoot. He goes past people like they're not there.
“Everything he does, there is a reason behind it.
“It's like he's been here before - certain players have this, you can't put your finger on what it is, but it's just a quality. I love watching him play. He's going to be a superstar.”
Redknapp could not have been more wrong – although it started with promise and some early bright displays, Martial’s career at Man United was marked by inconsistency, injury troubles and a lack of development.
The Frenchman arrived at Old Trafford in September 2015 as the most expensive teenager in football at the time, costing up to £58m, and enjoyed a strong debut season.
He scored a stunning solo goal against Liverpool in his first match and finished the year as United’s top scorer, netting 17 goals across all competitions and offering fans hope he could be the next superstar to emerge at Old Trafford.
However, following the appointment of Jose Mourinho in the summer of 2016, Martial’s progress stalled – he often found himself on the bench and struggled to adapt to the Portuguese tactician’s more rigid system.
While he enjoyed his peak season at United in 2019/20 under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, scoring 23 goals in all competitions, it proved to be the exception rather than the rule.
He struggled to maintain consistency amid injury problems the following season, which foreshadowed how his United career would unfold.
Martial departed Man United in June 2024 following the expiry of his contract, having scored 90 goals in 317 appearances.
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Many felt Martial would one day win the prize himself, but he felt another star at Old Trafford had a better chance.
Statistics courtesy ofTransfermarkt. Correct as of 07-07-25.