Jamie Carragher has apologised to Lisandro Martinez nine months after he questioned whether the Manchester United defender could cope in the Premier League.
The Argentinian arrived in the summer for £46million from Ajax. But at 5ft 9in, Martinez struggled in the opening weeks of the season as United fell to opening defeats against Brighton and Brentford, with Carragher among those to suggest the centre-back was too short to succeed in the Premier League.
However, as the season has progressed, Martinez has become one of Erik ten Hag's now key players. The Argentina international has been instrumental in the club’s EFL Cup win and their run to the FA Cup final.
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Reflecting on his early-season comments, Carragher issued an apology for his prediction, saying: “That was not about Lisandro Martinez, but any central defender in the Premier League who is under six foot tall. But he has not.
“Any player is going to have weaknesses, whether its physically or technically and the best players hide their weaknesses. Everyone has them.
“I was not the tallest player and I was always worried that I was going to get ‘found out’ or sort of bullied in the air. At times you lose big challenges and goals, while he is three or four inches smaller than me.”
Carragher, speaking on Monday Night Football, then added: “We have spoken about the significance of Casemiro being absent from United’s team but the same is true of Martinez. Not just defensively, but also his ability on the ball and playing out from the back.
“He is a warrior and a leader. He and Casemiro are the two new signings who have transformed Man United. So apologies to Lisandro Martinez and Man United fans, you can stop tweeting me now about it!”
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