Anthony Martial was given special treatment when he arrived at Spanish La Liga club, Sevilla on Wednesday, January 26, 2022, to commence his 6-month loan spell at the club.
During his unveiling at the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan stadium, the 26-year-old French footballer was given a pleasant surprise. He had the opportunity to listen to a welcome message from Brazilian football legend Ronaldo De Lima.
Recall that Anthony Martial tried to play regularly at Manchester United since the commencement of this season but he could not. The arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo from Juventus to Manchester United in August 2021 drastically reduced the Frenchman’s chance of playing regularly.
When it was obvious that he might not be able to have regular game time under interim coach Ralf Rangnick, the France international decided to request an exit from Manchester United.
After a series of back and forth between the club and the French player, the coach permitted him to go on loan for the rest of the 2021-2022 season.
Anthony Martial sealed his loan move to Sevilla on January 25, 2022, after the Spanish club agreed to pay his wages in full during his spell at the club.
Sevilla unveiled the Frenchman on Wednesday and played him a video containing the welcome message of Ronaldo De Lima, a Brazilian football icon who Anthony Martial regards as one of his football idols.
In his message to Martial, the 45-year-old president of Segunda División club Real Valladolid wished the Frenchman all the best at Sevilla.
The Brazilian football icon said: “Hi Martial, how are you? Welcome to La Liga and Sevilla! This is a big club in Spain and a big club in Europe.
“They have incredible fans and play in a fantastic city. So I wish you all the best, and hopefully, I’ll see you soon. Big hug, best of luck.”
We heard one of your idols was @Ronaldo, so we just had to get him to welcome you to our club and league! 👋 @AnthonyMartial | @LaLigaEN pic.twitter.com/bDUOsRpBnM
— Sevilla FC (@SevillaFC_ENG) January 26, 2022
Anthony Martial who joined Manchester United from Monaco on September 1, 2015, for a transfer fee worth €60 million, joined Sevilla because he wants to play regularly.
He knows that if he continues to play from the bench at Manchester United, he might not have the opportunity to play in the forthcoming 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Unlike at Manchester United where he plays in the UEFA Champions League, he will have to play in the Europa League at Sevilla. The Spanish club will commence their Europa League campaign on February 17 against Dinamo Zagreb.
🔊 𝗩𝗢𝗟𝗨𝗠𝗘 𝗨𝗣: Martin Tyler’s famous line 😉
— Sevilla FC (@SevillaFC_ENG) January 26, 2022
📲 https://t.co/2ps8gW15Xy pic.twitter.com/KVVGTQGFo8
While reacting to his move to Sevilla, the French striker said he hopes to help the club to win their seventh Europa League title.
He said: “I wanted to come so I could play and show what I can do in the team. In the last few months, I have been training a lot. I hope to be able to train soon with my teammates and work well with them to fight for the competitions we’re still in.
“I’m ready to play. I trained hard to be ready and if the coach wants me to play, I’ll do it now…
“Winning a seventh Europa League is a big aim. Also, the final is here so we’ll do everything possible to win the cup.
“I aim to play, help the team and that means enjoying myself on the pitch, and scoring and assisting. That’s the aim for me these next few months.”
❤ A message to the fans. pic.twitter.com/vAtMZv4kQ4
— Sevilla FC (@SevillaFC_ENG) January 26, 2022
