Manchester United: Leicester manager Claudio Ranieri heaps praise on Anthony Martial

Former Monaco manager Claudio Ranieri has revealed that he had scouted Anthony Martial since he was at Lyon and that the forward has the capability of "smelling a goal scoring opportunity and putting he ball into the net". The 19-year-old has been in sparkling form since moving to Manchester United this summer, scoring three goals in his last two Premier League games against Liverpool and Southampton.

Ranieri is doing a wonderful job at Leicester City as his team are placed fourth on the league table, following a brilliant start to the season. Previously, the manager was in charge of Monaco when they signed Martial in 2013 and he has claimed that he will be an asset for United in the days to come.

"The sporting director told me there was a good striker with Lyon. Every Saturday, I'd watch the Academy at Monaco and when we played Lyon three years ago he told me to watch him," Ranieri said, as quoted by ESPN.

"I watched this guy and at the end I said he was very good. Then at the end of the season, the sporting director said 'Claudio, there's an opportunity to buy this guy. Take it. Go'. I didn't hesitate, I'd seen him play and knew he was something special. Every time he touched the ball, something special happened.

"Maybe he was not involved in the game then suddenly... whoosh, he'd come to life. He has that fantastic ability when he can smell a goal and then switches on at just the right moment -- that is Anthony," he added.

"It's important for him to score as he cost a lot of money and the people expect goals from him," the manager stressed.

There was a lot of scepticism regarding United's acquisition of Martial following the £36m ($56m) fee that was paid for his services, but the youngster has proved his detractors wrong by putting in a series of consistent performances on the bounce.

His goal against Liverpool was likened to Thierry Henry, while his brace against Southampton was down to his predatory instincts which has taken United to second position on the table, only two points behind Manchester City.

The Red Devils will take on Ipswich Town in the Capital One Cup on Tuesday 22 September, with Louis van Gaal looking for his first trophy since joining the Red Devils last summer.