Anthony Martial was just three days into his first training camp with the French national team when he found himself requesting time off, to sign for Manchester United.

There was little fanfare as the 19-year-old AS Monaco forward linked up with Didier Deschamps' squad on Thursday, but come Monday he was dominating sports pages across Europe after reportedly becoming the most expensive teenage footballer ever. Martial could complete an eventful fortnight by adding a first senior international cap when France meet Portugal in a friendly tonight.

In France, news of his move to Old Trafford went far beyond the usual football outlets. Within a few hours, Martial – scorer of 11 goals in 52 Ligue 1 appearances for Lyon and Monaco – was trending on social media and the lead story on national news programmes. Neither Louis Saha nor Radamel Falcao, previous Monaco players to pull on United's No9 shirt, got that kind of coverage.

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"I don't feel any pressure," Martial said in an interview with the French Football Federation (FFF). "I know there is pressure, but I'm ready for it. I'm very happy because they're a big club. I'm very proud. I worked hard for this and my family is very happy about it. I spoke with the coach, Louis van Gaal, and I know that I need to work very hard. I hope everything goes well for me at the club."

Warmly welcomed and "advised" by his French team-mates, Martial says he now wants to "play, score and make goals" for Les Bleus ahead of UEFA EURO 2016 next June. He certainly has a fan in Deschamps, the coach explaining: "I selected him because he has the skills, speed and power I could not find anywhere else. I'm looking for players like that; now let's see how he adapts to the squad."

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Lisbon may come too soon for Martial, but Monday's match in Bordeaux against Serbia could be his big entry into international football. "[To] wear those colours is a childhood dream," he says. Whether he was talking about Manchester United's red or France's blue was unclear. Perhaps both.