Manchester United legend-turned-pundit Paul Scholes has revealed his delight after the Red Devils secured the services of Anthony Martial on a long-term basis. The France international endured a difficult spell under Jose Mourinho where he has in-and-out of the starting lineup and there was a time where he was reluctant to extend his contract.

However, that situation has changed with the dismissal of the Portuguese and the Frenchman has now eventually signed a fresh five-year contract with the club with the option of a further 12 months. Speaking on BBC Five Live, Scholes has praised his former side for getting the deal done with the Frenchman, who had previously been eyeing a potential move elsewhere.

He said: "It's brilliant, he was another player who struggled under previous. We all knew his qualities, I remember talking to (Dimitar) Berbatov who played at Monaco with him and he was raving. You need a run of games to express yourself and now he's getting that, he can beat a man, score goals, bring excitement for the fans and that's the most important thing. It's a great signing."

“Martial had previously been reluctant to prolong his deal beyond the summer of 2020“and this spread the speculation that he could pursue another club with Inter Milan among the probable candidates. His fortunes, however, initially changed towards the end of Mourinho’s reign where he was finding his old form and the same has continued under Ole, though “he has recently dropped“ to the bench after recovering from a minor niggle.

Meanwhile, United have been on an upward trend over the past 45 days with Ole guiding the club to eight wins from the past nine matches. This has brought them right within the Champions League positions with just two points separating them from fourth-placed Chelsea at the moment.