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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
Sport
Steven Railston

Virgil van Dijk has revealed what rival players think about Manchester United's Lisandro Martinez

There have been five prime ministers in the last six years in the United Kingdom, Donald Trump is favourite to become the president of the United States again in 2024 and Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk has complimented a Manchester United player.

If you had just woken up from a coma, you might not believe what you were reading and, with the public learning not to be surprised at the dire state of politics, perhaps Van Dijk giving Lisandro Martinez a glowing endorsement would be most jarring.

It's rare for a Liverpool player to dare to speak any kind words about a United dressing room member, such is the intensity of the rivalry, so Van Dijk's comments about Martinez seem a collector's item, maybe for those who buy half-and-half scarves.

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United fans could hardly care about what Liverpool's players have to say but they might make an exception on this occasion. Martinez has already become a cult hero, overcoming early criticism, and it's interesting to get the perspective of a rival player on him.

Van Dijk recently told The Overlap : "People talking about Lisandro Martinez and his height are talking absolute rubbish, they shouldn't even mention it. It can obviously help if you're a bit taller, but it also hinders you in certain ways. I think he did fantastic against us.

"He's a good signing for United, he's very passionate, good on the ball, so I can only speak positively about him. I have respect for what he's achieved so far and hopefully he does well for United, but that he doesn't get too successful there.

"In England, everyone loves criticising players about everything but, that's fine, because you can't change it. He's shown already many good performances and he shouldn't think about all this other stuff."

Van Dijk was refreshingly honest in his interview with Gary Neville, speaking objectively without bias, and he said what everyone, who has regularly watched Martinez this season, is thinking, along with a potential swipe against some Liverpool legends.

Jamie Carragher and Graeme Souness did not give Martinez much chance of succeeding at the start of the season, expressing concerns about his height, and the latter double downed on his opinion this week, which was ridiculous.

Souness' comments on Martinez were brainless. He suggested that the 24-year-old was not good on the ball, despite Martinez bypassing 1,103 opponents in total with his passes in the Premier League, which is the most of any United player.

In truth, his punditry is not always taken seriously, but he still has a platform to spread any misinformed opinions to millions of supporters, which can create a false narrative. United fans obviously know the truth about Martinez and it's now clear that rival players do.

Martinez has been outstanding since swapping Amsterdam for Manchester and it's a testament to his quality that he's made a strong impression on opposition players this season, with appreciation from Premier League peers the ultimate seal of approval.

Although what Erik ten Hag thinks about Martinez is the only thing that matters, it's telling that Van Dijk was compelled to speak so glowingly of Martinez, especially when considering his own supporters at Liverpool could be left bemused by him doing so.

That's without mentioning that Van Dijk inadvertently seemed to criticise Carragher and Souness, who are two Liverpool legends.

Van Dijk's performances have declined this season, but he's been the Premier League's best centre-back for four years, and he's certainly better qualified than most to give a verdict about Martinez's committed, passionate and consistent performances.

United fans will be delighted if Martinez can make the impact at Old Trafford that Van Dijk has made at Anfield. Martinez will need a few years to reach those heights, although it's hoped Donald Trump is not in power when United next win a trophy.

That's despite Ten Hag having the challenge of 'making Manchester United great again'.

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