Man United centre-back Lisandro Martinez has opened on the criticism he has received related to his height.
Since joining the Red Devils from Ajax last summer, Martinez, 25, has quickly become a fan favourite.
Loved for his ‘do or die’ attitude and commitment to the cause, the Argentine defender is one of the club’s most well-liked players with the chant “Argentina! Argentina!” frequently heard ringing out around Old Trafford.
However, despite manager Erik Ten Hag have plenty of experience coaching the 25-year-old before bringing him to United, pundits and rival fans were quick to judge him based on his height.
Standing at just 5’9″ tall, Martinez is one of, if not, the shortest centre-back in the Premier League.
One pundit who was quick to judge the South American was former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher. Speaking about Martinez at the start of the season, Carragher, as quoted by the Daily Mail, said: “The other problem he’s got is the signing of Lisandro Martinez.
“Now, we should never judge managers or players too early, but I’m convinced this can’t work because the size of him playing in a back four.
“Maybe he could go left-back, maybe he could play in a back three, but in a back four, he cannot play there in the Premier League.”
Martinez hasn’t let his height hinder him though – winning the majority of his aerial duels, the Argentina international has let his footballing intelligence make up for what he lacks physically, and has made Carragher eat his words.
Speaking recently, the World Cup winner has broken his silence on some of the criticism he suffered earlier in the season.
“To be honest, I put my full focus here,” Martinez told the Telegraph.
“I can’t control that [what people say], you know, it’s just an opinion.
“I understand when people say that – they show me who they are, you know? It’s not my problem. I’m really happy, the people are happy with me as well. That’s the most important thing.
“In the beginning, in Argentina, it was the same. But it’s normal because, in football, it’s not normal to play as a centre-back with my height. It’s not easy as well, you know – you have to work very hard. You have to be very clever on the pitch, you have to be sharp in every situation but if you’re smart you can win the duels.”