Manchester United attacker Anthony Martial has hailed manager Louis van Gaal's role in his development.

Martial joined United from Monaco in September and has since become a key figure at Old Trafford, scoring eight goals in 26 Premier League outings.

The performances of the 20-year-old Frenchman have been one of the highlights in an underwhelming campaign for the Red Devils.

"The boss has shown a lot of faith in me and the fact he has played me in so many games has allowed me to make progress and come on as a player," Martial told United Review.

"Getting so much playing time is not something I had really expected, but it has been very important for my development.

"On a personal level, it has gone reasonably well. There are occasions when I could have done better. I could have been more clinical, scored more goals and made more assists. Now it is down to me to keep going so I can help the team as much as I possibly can."

Martial previously acknowledged the Premier League is more physical than Ligue 1, but he will resist any attempts to significantly increase his strength, as he fears it could have a negative impact on his natural game.

"In truth, I do not really enjoy doing weights in the gym too much," he said.

"I do not do an awful lot of it, really. I do a little bit just for muscle tone more than anything, but not a huge amount. 

"I am wary that if I do a lot of gym work, I might bulk up too much and lose that agility, so I try to limit what I do and simply do some strengthening of my abdominal muscles."