Luke Shaw believes Manchester United "need" Lisandro Martinez in their defence after the Argentine's superb start to his Old Trafford career.
Martinez, 24, joined United from Ajax in a £57million deal in July. Standing at 5ft 9in, some pundits and fans insisted he wasn't big enough to cope with the physical demands of the Premier League - especially after the 4-0 defeat to Brentford in August.
Yet Martinez has since silenced his critics with several quality performances. He's kept five clean sheets in 13 games since that famous loss, forming a brilliant partnership with Raphael Varane and leaving captain Harry Maguire battling to regain his starting spot.
Shaw was dropped by United boss Erik ten Hag after the Brentford defeat but has since returned to the starting XI alongside Martinez. Speaking after the goalless draw against Newcastle at Old Trafford on Sunday, Shaw was full of praise for his new teammate.
"[He has been] unbelievable, to be honest," Shaw told United's website. "You can see everyone loves him. The fans love him. His left foot is unbelievable. I think it always helps when you play with a left-footer on the side because he naturally likes to come out to that side, and I think he has fitted in really well.
"Of course, he can keep getting better and better, but for me so far, he has been unbelievable this season. He needs to keep that up. His aggression, his passion, we need him in that backline. He brings that every game. I am really pleased to have him in the team."
What have you made of Lisandro Martinez's performances at Manchester United? Let us know in the comments below!
Martinez arrived in Manchester with a big reputation after three successful seasons at Ajax under Ten Hag. The nine-cap international won four trophies in Amsterdam - including two Eredivisie titles - and is the club's reigning Player of the Year.
Martinez will be confident of taking home a similar award at United this season after his impressive start. He was named as the club's Player of the Month for August, winning a record 84 per cent of the vote in the fan poll ahead of Tyrell Malacia and Raphael Varane.
United are fifth in the Premier League following Sunday afternoon's result, three points behind Chelsea in fourth. A top-four finish is this season's target. In terms of the Europa League, they're second in their group, six points ahead of Sheriff Tiraspol in third.
Shaw also opened up his own game. The Englishman has featured in all three of United's Premier League games since last month's international break. He added: "I just had to wait and bide my time because the team was doing well and we were winning.
"So you can’t moan, you just have to be there every day with the team, being involved and helping the team whether you’re starting or on the bench... For me now, it’s all about consistency and, like I said, I just need to keep training hard and keep focus and, of course, give everything I can for the team."
Shaw is expected to be part of England's World Cup squad for this year's tournament in Qatar, which starts next month. Martinez, meanwhile, is set to star for Argentina.
