Martial the youngest in FFT’s Best 100 Players

Many an eyebrow was raised when his £36 million - rising to £58m - move from Monaco to Old Trafford was announced in the summer, but Martial - just 19 when the list was revealed last week - was quick to silence the critics.

An eye-catching debut goal against Liverpool was one of four the Frenchman netted in his first four games for the Red Devils, before notching another at CSKA Moscow in the Champions League. Martial sneaks into this year’s century of top talent at number 93, pipping a string of other young guns including Ruben Neves, Paulo Dybala, Domenico Berardi and Nabil Fekir to a spot in the FFT100.

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Martial is followed by another Manchester-based speedster in 20-year-old Raheem Sterling, who had number 49 is the youngest player in the top 50.

One of England’s few standout performers at the 2014 World Cup, Sterling rises 11 places in the list after being involved in 14 Premier League goals for Liverpool last season and starting his City career with four goals and a pair of assists.

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Two 21-year-olds follow in the form of Bayer Leverkusen assist king Hakan Calhanoglu, regarded as one of the best free-kick takers on the planet, and Manchester United summer signing Memphis Depay, whose 22 Eredivisie goals last term guided PSV Eindhoven to a first league title in seven years.

The list's leading six young players is completed by 22-year-old Juventus and France powerhouse Paul Pogba and Real Madrid centre-back Raphael Varane.

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Gregg Davies

Gregg Davies is the Chief Sub Editor of FourFourTwo magazine, joining the team in January 2008 and spending seven years working on the website. He supports non-league behemoths Hereford and commentates on Bulls matches for Radio Hereford FC. His passions include chocolate hobnobs and attempting to shoehorn Ronnie Radford into any office conversation.