Manchester United manager Ralf Rangnick has shed some light on the conversation he had with Anthony Martial before welcoming the French forward back into the fold.
Martial went more than a month without playing under the interim manager, amid conversations over a potential January exit, with Rangnick suggesting the player declined to travel for the recent Premier League match away to Aston Villa.
The 26-year-old insisted that was not the case, though, and made his return as an unused substitute at Brentford before coming off the bench in the dramatic late victory against West Ham United.
Rangnick and Martial have had words since the Villa disagreement, and the German has now shared details of the conversation the pair had before the forward's reintroduction.
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Martial received a mixed reception upon taking to the field in a double change, with Edinson Cavani coming on at the same time.
The returning France international was booed by some of the United fanbase, though others were heard cheering him as he made his first appearance since December 2.
Both of the late substitutes played a part in United's stoppage-time winner, with Martial feeding Cavani and the Uruguayan crossing for fellow sub Marcus Rashford to tap in at the back post.
"Since we last spoke one-and-a-half weeks ago, I told him it's about being professional until the very last day no matter how long he stays or when he leaves," Rangnick said of Martial after the game, adding that "It was good to have this conversation with him".
"In the last two games, he was part of the squad and today he played a vital role in the goal that we scored," the manager continued.
"He's a top player, one of the best strikers in the Premier League but we have other players in his position and it is his wish to leave but, as I said to him, it always takes different parts to find an agreement and the way he trained and played when he came on today showed his professionalism I expect from everybody.
"I am happy he was playing today, that came on and had a vital role in the goal."
Sevilla and Juventus are among the clubs reported to be leading the way in the pursuit of Martial, with the Spanish club seeing a loan approach knocked back earlier in the month.
However, amid Rangnick's claims regarding the Villa match, the former Monaco man clarified his position.
"I will never refuse to play a match for Man United," he said on social media.
"I've been here for 7 years and I never disrespected and never will disrespect the club and the fans."
