Manchester United and Argentina defender Lisandro Martinez proved his elite warrior mentality about one “problem” that has repeatedly popped up in his playing career.
Lisandro Martinez has been a fan favourite among Manchester United supporters since the 27-year-old Argentine centre-back’s arrival from Dutch side Ajax in 2022.
The United star was reunited with ex-Ajax manager Erik ten Hag at Old Trafford and became a linchpin defensive figure for the Dutchman at the Premier League club.
The Red Devils agreed to sign Martinez in a £57m transfer deal and the former Ajax defender has impressed with both his defensive skills and leadership qualities.
Martinez has shown his versatility by playing at both centre-back and left-back and the 2022 World Cup winner adapted to Ruben Amorim’s tactical system for United.
Ruben Amorim has retained Martinez’s influence in the United first team and the Argentina defender has been one of his key picks for his three-man backline.
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Manchester United and Argentina defender Lisandro Martinez during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Crystal Palace at Old Trafford in 2025 in Manchester.
Photo by James Gill – Danehouse/Getty Images
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Lisandro Martinez has shown his incredible resilience after the Man Utd and Argentina defender’s latest remarks
Lisandro Martinez’s spell at Manchester United has been far from smooth sailing, with the Red Devils defender’s spell at Old Trafford curtailed by injuries at times.
The United and Argentina player has also had to contend with criticism during his time at the Red Devils, including from the likes of Paul Scholes and Jamie Carragher.
Jamie Carragher infamously predicted that Martinez could struggle to meet the demands of the Premier League and its physicality due to his stature as a player.
However, the 47-year-old Sky Sports pundit was forced to walk back on his early criticism after the impact that Martinez has had on the United backline.
Speaking to the ‘Clank!’ YouTube channel, Martinez revealed that there are “two options” on the table when it comes to approaching criticism in football.
“I think you always have two options. I always say the same thing, you have two options,” he told Argentine reporter Juan Pablo Varsky.
“One, you either get angry and give more power to the one who spoke or the second is you laugh, you take it from whoever comes and you go ahead.
“You show what you are every weekend and enjoy it. I myself know what it cost me to get there.
“So, I prefer to have a date with my wife, enjoy life and make video calls to my parents.
“That you have to spend all of your energy on what the other person is doing… Imagine if I have to think about what others day about me.”
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Man Utd star Lisandro Martinez makes his position clear on criticism and he keeps it real with his response
Martinez admitted that he has not been fazed by the criticism that has been levelled against him and he has only used it to ‘improve’ as a player.
“Obviously, if you criticise me, fine, welcome, because through criticism one improves […],” he continued.
“The problem is that they also don’t realise that many people follow them and those people end up thinking the same because they follow it.”
Martinez missed the second half of the 2024-25 campaign due to injury and the United star played in 32 matches across all competitions last season.