18 February 2023 , 10:28
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Lisandro Martinez wanted to be the next Diego Maradona or Lionel Messi.
So the Argentine defender, nicknamed ‘The Butcher’ by his former team-mates at Ajax, takes exception when it’s suggested he was brought to Manchester United by Erik ten Hag just to make mincemeat of Premier League forwards. At just 5ft 9ins, it’s fair to say that Martinez’s bite is worse than his bark.
But when he was a youngster at hometown clubs Urquiza and Atletico Libertad in the city of Gualeguay, he was such a talented playmaker that he wore the No.10 shirt so coveted in football-mad South America.
“I don’t know why at Ajax they called me 'The Butcher', says Martinez. “I don’t even remember who gave me the nickname. It must be because I'm aggressive in the way I play my game. I did once make a vacuum (a cut of Argentine beef) in my house, so in one way the nickname suits me! But the truth is that I do go to each challenge like it is going to be my last one.
“Having said that, I have greatly improved the way I read the game and how to make decisions. I have also grown in the way I pass the ball. And I want to continue improving absolutely everything. There is no limit for me. But if I want to go higher, I have to work for it - and that will always be the reality.”
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Martinez became an instant cult hero with the Stretford End when he smashed into Mohamed Salah in his third United appearance before giving the Liverpool striker another forceful nudge to warn he wasn’t going away. He’s been a key part of the club’s renaissance under Ten Hag.
Where does Lisandro Martinez rank among the best Premier League centre-backs? Have your say in the comments!
Lisandro Martinez has opened up on the reasons behind his nickname (Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images)Martinez will be back in the frame when United face Leicester at Old Trafford after being suspended for the epic 2-2 draw at Barcelona in the Europa League on Thursday night. It’s been a tough journey to Manchester.
Rejected by Boca Juniors after playing in a trial game despite a severe bout of flu, Martinez moved away from home to join the youth set up at Newell’s Old Boys at the age of 14. When he joined Ajax in 2019 after an impressive 18-month loan spell at Defensa y Justicia, he admitted his early weeks in Amsterdam virtually reduced him to tears.
Martinez said: “I really suffered with the intensity with which they play in Ajax. It really is incredible - as well as the reading of the game that everyone has. I suffered a lot at first, so much that I wanted to cry.
“But at the same time, I knew that I was going to adapt, that it is normal to struggle when you pass from one team to another. But you discover at a very young age what you are ready to put up with to become a footballer.
“I lived in a boarding house when I joined Newell’s and I learned during my time there that you have to fix things yourself when they are broken. I was very close to my parents, who did everything for me, but suddenly I had to take responsibility.
“Making friends was the most beautiful thing. We learned to defend each other because we are a family - and that is incredible. Already as a boy, you have the maturity of a 20 or 22-year-old.”
Lisandro Martinez has impressed since arriving from Ajax (Youtube)Martinez is proud of humble beginnings and was raised by mum Silvina Cabrera and dad Raul to never forget his roots. The 24-year-old still keeps in touch with team-mates from his childhood sides and is famous in Argentina for always being ready to support charities and other good causes.
“I am on the side of the people who really need things,” says Martinez. “When something annoys me, even just a little, I don’t let it go and I try to send at least a message of support.
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“It is not my thing to get into politics. I’m not interested in that and people get confused by it. I just want to help people. We are all human beings and we all have the right to have an opinion.”