Virgil van Dijk defends Lisandro Martinez after height criticism

Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk has become the latest person to defend Lisandro Martinez following the baseless criticism that was aimed at him at the start of this season.

Martinez brushed off all criticism after his first two games and is now widely considered one of the best defenders in the Premier League. He’s certainly a permanent fixture on Erik ten Hag’s teamsheet and that is not about to change anytime soon.

Jamie Carragher, the former Liverpool player, is one of the public figures to have maintained that Martinez’s height is an issue despite his increasingly impressive performances.

Now, speaking to Gary Neville on The Overlap, Van Dijk has come to Martinez’s defence, admitting that the Argentine has done well so far and even impressed him when United beat Liverpool 2-1 in August.

“The height difference is something everyone wants [to make something of]. You shouldn’t even mention it,” Van Dijk said, according to the Metro. “Obviously it can help if you’re a bit taller, but also it can not help you in certain ways.

“So I think he did fantastic against us. He is a good signing for United. Very passionate, good on the ball, so I can only speak positively about him.

“I’ve got respect for what he’s achieved so far and hopefully he’ll be doing well for United – but not getting [too] successful! I think in England everyone has to say something about everyone. That’s just it. But that’s fine, you can’t change that.”

SN’s verdict…
Despite seemingly shutting down any talk of weaknesses in Martinez’s game, there are still doubters out there and former United defender Rio Ferdinand recently fired back at Graeme Souness, another former Liverpool star, for aiming more criticism toward Martinez.

It speaks volumes when a Liverpool player speaks out to defend a United player and perhaps some of the experts should learn a thing or two.

As United prepare to round off the first half of this season ahead of the mid-season break, Martinez is expected to play an integral role in Argentina’s hunt for the World Cup in Qatar.

More Stories Erik ten Hag Lisandro Martinez Liverpool Manchester United Premier League Virgil van Dijk

1 Comment

Comments are closed