Nemanja Vidic delivers verdict on Manchester United defender Lisandro Martinez
Lisandro Martinez has made a positive impact at Man United since joining Erik ten Hag's side from Ajax last summer.
Nemanja Vidic has praised the fighting spirit Manchester United centre-back Lisandro Martinez has shown since his move to the Reds from Ajax last summer.
The Argentinian defender reunited with Erik ten Hag at Old Trafford after impressing under the Dutchman with the Eredivisie outfit. He has gone on to make 45 appearances for United, winning the Carabao Cup in February.
Martinez came under intense scrutiny in the early stages of the season, with a number of pundits and former players questioning his effectiveness in the Premier League due to his height. However, the 25-year-old has gone from strength to strength under Ten Hag and quickly became a fan-favorite with the United faithful.
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Former Reds centre-back Vidic admitted he also had doubts about whether Martinez could succeed in the English top flight, but insisted the World Cup winner has "got away with his height", before lauding his winning mentality.
Speaking on Vibe with Five, he said: "I like him, he likes to defend and that's what I saw when he first came. Obviously, I had doubts when he came because of his height, but he is good in the air and he's got away with his height.
"He knows how to position himself, I think he's a good character and good for the dressing room because he has that winning mentality, he's a fighter."
The Serb made 300 appearances for the Reds during his time at Old Trafford, winning 10 major honours under Sir Alex Ferguson. His partnership with Rio Ferdinand is often discussed as one of the best in Premier League history, with the pair having played together on 197 occasions.
While Vidic was hesitant to comment on comparisons between himself and Martinez, the 41-year-old was keen to discuss the positive impact the Argentina international has had at United since his transfer.
He added: "He likes to defend, that desire you need to have on the pitch and you have to have certain players doing this 'energy lifting' and he does that. Unfortunately he's injured now but he's definitely a great signing for us, he did great."
Martinez recently underwent successful surgery on his broken metatarsal, which he suffered in the Europa League home clash with Sevilla. He will be out for the remainder of the campaign.
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