Manchester United defender Lisandro Martinez has been praised by Patrice Evra as one of the best signings the club have made in years.
Martinez was one of six new arrivals under Erik ten Hag this summer in a transfer window that saw £225million spent. The former Ajax centre-back has been at the heart of United's defence, with the Argentine displaying his tenacity and passion every time he steps out onto the pitch.
The 24-year-old has carried on his fine form during the World Cup, as he put in a dominating performance for Argentina during their 2-0 win over Mexico over the weekend.
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Following on from his display in Qatar, Evra has now taken the chance to heap praise on the United man, as he highlighted Martinez's abilities both on and off the ball that make him stand out from the crowd.
He told Rio Ferdinand's Vibe with Five YouTube channel : "This is one of the best signings we’ve had for years at Manchester United. It’s because of his fighting spirit. That’s what United fans want to see – those players have to bleed for the shirt. People were talking about his height and I was laughing. Some people said I was too small when I arrived in the Premier League as well. When you play with that heart and passion, size doesn’t matter.
"When he gets the ball, he is so clean and composed. Mexico were pressing everywhere [during Argentina's 2-0 win] but every time he got the ball he was calm and playing forward. That’s what I love. He doesn’t play those one-metre balls to the next player. This is easy.
"When I see those [Martinez's] stats – I remember Per Mertesacker at Arsenal, the stats said he never lost the ball – but he was passing it one metre, I can do that every day. But Martinez puts the ball through the lines like Michael Carrick. That’s what he does and I love that. What a player, what a player.
"All the other aspects of his game are great. I remember speaking to Edwin van der Sar and other people at Ajax about him and they all said he was aggressive and tenacious but also great on the ball and can pass. Top defenders now need to have both sides of the game."
You can vote for Lisandro Martinez in our United Fans' Footballer of the Year 2022 award - cast your vote below or here :
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