It's no secret that Anthony Martial has the potential to become one of Europe's best players.

At Manchester United, the Frenchman has the perfect platform to develop into a elite forward but hasn't really reached the next level since his stunning debut season.

There's no doubting that the talent is there, yet Jose Mourinho's regime has both limited his creativity up front and seen him rotated with the likes of Alexis Sanchez and Marcus Rashford.

Fans just get the feeling that Martial is one brilliant season away from fulfilling his potential and becoming one of the main men at Old Trafford.

It's an opinion that would almost certainly be corroborated by number two goalkeeper Sergio Romero, who knows Martial better than most.

Romero's association with Martial

They shared the dressing room at AS Monaco in 2013-14 and have been teammates at United ever since Martial penned his dramatic transfer in 2015.

And speaking as part of a column on Manchester United's website, Romero has been very complimentary of Martial and even sees flashes of Messi in the Frenchman's play.

It's no small statement but coming from a player who has trained with them both, it's hard to ignore and makes for interesting reading.

Martial and Messi's shared trait

Romero honestly explained: "He really is one of the best I’ve seen. I think that the only player in the world or who I’ve seen, running with the ball as if it’s stuck to his foot, is Leo Messi.

"He can be going at top speed and the ball is always right on the end of his foot, it never gets far away from his control. That’s why he can do all the things he does.

"But the thing that Anthony has which is quite similar is when he is running at top speed, he can stop the ball absolutely dead, in a split-second.

"That is the same as what Messi does. Leo will be running with the ball, on a mazy dribble, and then all of a sudden he’ll stop suddenly and change pace or change speed, or go the other side.

"Anthony can do that with ease and in fact he has done it many times. He dribbles the ball one way, stops suddenly and then goes the other."

Well there you have it.

Romero has played with and against some of the greatest players in the modern football, but has only seen Martial match Messi when it comes to dribbling.

United fans will just be hoping they get to see that level of performance more often and the type of jaw-dropping dribbling that saw him go viral against Real Madrid in pre-season last year.

It's yet another reminder and indication that Martial has the raw ability to achieve special things in the 'beautiful game' but he's not quite at the top level yet.

Time is ticking and United fans will be hoping his talent doesn't go to waste.

Do you think Martial can become one of Europe's best? Have your say in the comments section below.