Lisandro Martinez appeared to aim a cheeky swipe at Jamie Carragher after the Liverpool legend admitted he had been wrong about the Manchester United defender.
Carragher famously questioned whether the Argentina international was tall enough to succeed in the Premier League following his £57million move from Ajax in the summer of 2022.
Martinez has since established himself as a popular figure at Old Trafford, despite seeing his progress disrupted by several injury problems.
He was back at the heart of United’s defence on Thursday night, scoring and helping Michael Carrick’s side keep a clean sheet during their commanding 4-0 Champions League victory over Sabah.
Carragher was working as a pundit for CBS Sports and used his post-match interview with Martinez as an opportunity to acknowledge that his initial verdict had proved incorrect.
"Lisandro, when you first joined Manchester United, I said you were too small to succeed in the Premier League," Carragher told the centre-back.
"You've now been here for four or five years, you've completely proven me wrong. It's fair to say you've grown on me."
Martinez accepted the admission but made it clear that he had not forgotten the criticism which greeted his arrival in English football.
"That's fine, that's fine," he replied. "Sometimes you have to take these comments from you guys. You have to be smart.
"If you keep thinking about it, I will play bad. I'm just trying to stay focused, to give everything for this club that trusted me from day one."
Former Manchester City defender Micah Richards then invited Martinez to offer his own assessment of Carragher’s playing career.
"Did you ever watch Jamie and what did you think of him?" Richards asked.
LATEST SPORTS NEWS:
- Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc hold talks following collision in Monza
- Elena Rybakina reacts after US Open crowd empties following Coco Gauff victory
- Man Utd coach involved in angry clash with fan after Champions League win over Sabah
Lisandro Martinez when asked about what he thinks of Jamie Carragher:
— utdreport (@utdreport) September 10, 2026
“As a player? Good person.” 🤣
via @CBSSportsGolazo pic.twitter.com/Jsrb5CJZzu
"As a player? A good person, you know," Martinez responded, prompting laughter from the pundits inside the studio.
Carragher was one of Martinez’s most prominent critics when United agreed to bring him to Old Trafford.
The former Liverpool centre-back believed his lack of height would be repeatedly exposed by Premier League opponents, particularly when defending crosses and competing against more physical forwards.
He subsequently reversed that opinion after Martinez produced a series of impressive performances during his first campaign in Manchester.
The pair also joked about the dispute during a pitchside interview in 2025, when Martinez insisted his determination allowed him to overcome any physical disadvantage.
"I know that I am not tall, but I will win," he said at the time.
"With every duel, I will be there with personality there in the pitch."
Martinez will hope his goal against Sabah marks the beginning of an influential campaign as United attempt to build on last season’s third-place Premier League finish under Carrick.
The Red Devils are back in the Champions League for the first time since 2023 and face a demanding league-phase schedule.
United will meet Atletico Madrid, Como, Roma, Sporting Lisbon and RB Leipzig before Christmas, with heavyweight encounters against Bayern Munich and Villarreal awaiting them in January.
Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter
from GB News https://ift.tt/pAfoBRG
via IFTTT
Thank you for your message!