Manchester United's Anthony Martial says Louis van Gaal 'makes me laugh'

The 20-year-old has scored 12 goals for United after joining from Monaco for an initial £36m

Louis van Gaal embraces Anthony Martial (Getty)

Anthony Martial, the Manchester United striker, has revealed that he enjoys being harangued by manager Louis van Gaal.

The 20-year-old has scored 12 goals for United after joining from Monaco in the summer for an initial £36m, a fee which could rise yet further to £57.6m, but has not escaped criticism.

Martial’s talent nonetheless offers the promise of excitement at Old Trafford, a rarity in these peculiar days, during an otherwise torrid campaign which has seen their Premier League, Champions League, Europa League, and Capital One Cup aspirations fall short.

Van Gaal’s side, however, still hold harbour increasingly achievable hopes of securing a top four berth and are set to play West Ham United next month for a place in the FA Cup semi-finals.

But their French striker says he enjoys the pressure, providing an insight into how his oft-derided manager conducts himself around the changing room.

“He yells at me,” Martial said in an interview with RTL. “It makes me laugh because I know it's for my own good.”

Martial is used to a stern approach, however, and says Leonardo Jardim, his former manager at Monaco, was similar, adding: “He was very hard with me, that’s what I needed.”