'He has to ask himself': Anthony Martial's desire called into question as ex-Manchester United star remains unemployed

Emmanuel Petit believes Anthony Martial needs to ask himself if he wants to continue playing football.

Martial's nine-year spell as a Manchester United player came to an end in June after the 20-time English top-flight champions released him.

However, the 28-year-old striker has yet to find a new home.

Martial was reportedly close to signing for the Brazilian club Flamencobut his The wage demands were described as “unviable”.

He is referring to Martial, who was once the most expensive teenager in the world when he signed for the Red Devils. Monaco for £36m in 2015, faces an increasingly uncertain future.

It's true that the French star has had his share of injury problems which saw him miss 94 games for United.

But it is a baffling fall from grace, especially as Martial looked like he might live up to the lofty expectations when he scored 17 league goals in the 2019-20 season.

Petit sympathised with Martial and pointed to the internal crisis at United as one of the reasons behind the striker's departure.

However, the 1998 World Cup winner remains upset that the 28-year-old remains a free agent.

“I can't remember the last time he was a real footballer on the pitch, producing good performances,” Petit said, speaking ahead of episode 1 of The alignmenta new YouTube show presented by talkSPORT and BetMGM.

“He's been plagued by a lot of injuries over the last few years. But when you look at the stability in Manchester UnitedI'm not surprised that many players suffer because of this. So do coaches and fans. He's not the only one.

“But he's really getting lost in the transition. I can't understand why this kid, even though he hasn't been so good in recent years, when he comes to the end of his contract he doesn't have any offers. For me, this is a mystery.”

As a free agent, there is no deadline for a club to sign Martial.

But the longer he remains without a team, the longer it will take the 28-year-old to get back into his rhythm.

Given that it is only his financial demands that have forced clubs to back out of a deal, Martial could find a club quicker if he decides to lower his wage request, although he has every right to ask for whatever figure he deems worthy.

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At 28, Martial still has several years ahead of him to enjoy a fruitful football career, even if it is not at the level of Manchester United.

But Petit questioned whether Martial wanted to return to football at any level.

The Monegasque great pointed to Martial's off-field problems in recent years, which included two marital break-ups, as a reason he may have struggled on the pitch.

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That's why Petit believes the French international, who has 30 caps, must do some deep soul-searching to decide whether he really wants to continue playing.

“Maybe you should ask yourself this question: do you have the desire to move forward with your career?” Petit said.

“Because I have the feeling that the last few years were very difficult for him on and off the field.

“It's quite difficult to come to the training ground in a good frame of mind every morning and try to give your best all the time because you have a problem in your life, you have a problem in the locker room, you have problems everywhere.

“If I were Anthony Martial, I would ask myself this question in front of the mirror: do I want to continue being a professional footballer?”

Don't miss episode 1 of The LineUp, presented by talkSPORT and BetMGM. Available on the talkSPORT YouTube channel on Tuesday 17th September

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