Lisandro Martinez aims swipe at Jamie Carragher after defender’s rise
Lisandro Martinez appeared to aim a cheeky swipe at Jamie Carragher after the Liverpool legend admitted he had been wrong about the Manchester United defender, reports BritPanorama.
Carragher previously questioned whether the Argentina international possessed the necessary height to thrive in the Premier League following his £57 million transfer from Ajax in the summer of 2022. Martinez, however, has established himself as a key player for Manchester United, despite facing setbacks from various injuries.
He returned to the centre of United’s defence on Thursday night, not only scoring but also contributing to a clean sheet in a commanding 4-0 Champions League triumph over Sabah.
Carragher, working as a pundit for CBS Sports, took the opportunity during a post-match interview to acknowledge his misjudgment regarding Martinez’s capabilities. “Lisandro, when you first joined Manchester United, I said you were too small to succeed in the Premier League,” he remarked. “You’ve now been here for four or five years, you’ve completely proven me wrong. It’s fair to say you’ve grown on me,” he added.
Martinez accepted Carragher’s admission but noted he had not forgotten the criticism he received upon entering English football. “That’s fine, that’s fine,” he responded. “Sometimes you have to take these comments from you guys. You have to be smart. If you keep thinking about it, I will play bad. I’m just trying to stay focused, to give everything for this club that trusted me from day one.”
Former Manchester City defender Micah Richards prompted Martinez to assess Carragher’s playing career. “Did you ever watch Jamie and what did you think of him?” Richards asked, leading to laughter as Martinez replied, “As a player? A good person.”
Carragher had been among Martinez’s prominent critics when United secured his services, expressing initial doubts about his ability to handle the physicality of Premier League opponents. However, those concerns were dispelled as the Argentine excelled through his performances during his first season at Old Trafford.
The pair previously joked about their earlier dispute during a pitchside interview in 2025, with Martinez emphasising his determination over any physical disadvantage: “I know that I am not tall, but I will win,” he said then.
Martinez’s goal against Sabah may signal the start of a significant campaign as United seeks to improve on their third-place Premier League finish from last season under Michael Carrick. The club is back in the Champions League after a two-year absence, with an ambitious schedule ahead, facing Atletico Madrid, Como, Roma, Sporting Lisbon, and RB Leipzig before the end of the calendar year.
As the Red Devils gear up for a challenging return to European football, the interplay between resilience and ambition could define their quest this season. In sport, after all, conviction often matches stature in its capacity to resonate.
