Draped in the blue and white of the Argentine flag, Lisandro Martinez, not for the first time in his career, celebrated winning a trophy with Erik ten Hag right by his side.
Less than 12 months after swapping Amsterdam for Manchester, the Manchester United duo could not help but express what winning their first trophy in English football meant to them, joining fellow former Ajax employee Antony on the Wembley turf for a spot of dancing at the end of Sunday's Carabao Cup final triumph over Newcastle United. Both Ten Hag and Martinez, though they operate from different sides of the white line, have made extraordinary impacts since arriving at Old Trafford, possibly beyond what even they thought would be possible.
While there is no denying that United's supporters have fallen in love with Ten Hag, highlighted by the volume of the roar he earned when he held the Carabao Cup aloft on the Wembley balcony, Martinez has become just as much of a hero.
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The centre-back, snapped up for an initial fee of £46.8million last July, has made an unassailable impact in M16, becoming an instant fans' favourite. He is adored by those who fill the stands each and every week, with his passion and appetite for the game unlike anything United's fans have seen in years.
His South American aura means that he wears his heart on his sleeve and never knows when enough is enough. As he once said in an interview during his time at Ajax, 'If I have to step over dead bodies I do it.'
Though that claim had a metaphoric meaning to it, it was not all that far from the truth, really. Martinez, despite being the smallest centre-back in the Premier League - something that was documented relentlessly at the time United signed him - he is one of the last defenders that you would want to find yourself tasked with going up against. He is an aggressive and determined character that transfers energy to his teammates just through the way he plays his own game.
When United made the decision to sign him, the club was widely criticised for investing such an extravagant amount of money in a 5ft 9in centre-back that had never played in one of Europe's top-five leagues. Ten Hag, though, knew what the Reds would be getting from the defender, who he had signed at Ajax back in 2019.
"He's a warrior and I think the fans will admire him," said Ten Hag, outlining why he had made the decision to add him to United's squad. "He has an attitude, fighting spirit.
"He brings aggressiveness in the game, in a good way. I think we need that. But also, he's also skilful and he can deal with the ball and he's left-footed."
If Ten Hag thought United's fans would admire Martinez, he underestimated the size of the impact he would have. The truth is that they absolutely adore him. His fighting mentality and never-say-die attitude have captured the hearts of millions of United supporters worldwide.
Martinez, who was also added to United's ranks, as Ten Hag said at the time, to add a left-footed presence to their pool of centre-back options, is an outstanding talent and will be worthy of a place in the Premier League Team of the Season come the end of the campaign. The difficulties he faced on just his second appearance for the club at Brentford back in August are now nothing more than a distant memory.
After United were ridiculed by fans of rival clubs and even several pundits for making the decision to sign Martinez, nobody is laughing now. He has exceeded expectations by some distance and has cemented himself as one of Ten Hag's most important disciples.
Ten Hag vowed that United's fans would appreciate him and warm to his demeanour and style of play, but even he could not have predicted just how popular he has become. He ranks alongside Casemiro as being one of United's best signings in the past decade.
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