Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher has issued an apology to Lisandro Martinez for his previous prediction that the player would not succeed at Manchester United due to his height.
Martinez, who stands at 5ft 9in, was heavily criticized by pundits when United signed him from Ajax for a substantial fee. However, the Argentine has proven his doubters wrong with an exceptional performance in his first season, playing a crucial role in the team’s improved results.
Carragher, speaking on Monday Night Football, admitted his mistake and expressed regret for his earlier statement, acknowledging Martinez’s outstanding contribution to United’s success this season.
As reported by the Manchester Evening News, the pundit said:
“That’s not about Lisandro Martinez (being too short for the league), that’s about any centre-back coming to the Premier League who is well under six-foot you think is going to have a problem.”
“I wasn’t the tallest centre-back and I used to go into games worried that I’m going to get found out and bullied. At times you lose big challenges and goals. I thought he was two or three inches shorter than me.”
“He’s a warrior, he’s a leader and when you think of that spine of the team certainly him and Casemiro, two new signings, they’ve made a huge difference. So apologies Lisandro and all Man United fans can you stop tweeting me about Lisandro Martinez now please!”
Premier League Biggest Surprise of the Year 🥇@Carra23 – Lisandro Martinez
🚨 Jamie Carragher issues an apology to Lisandro Martinez 🚨 pic.twitter.com/YfAlHnHUEH
— Football Daily (@footballdaily) May 22, 2023
By reading these words it’s quite clear that Carragher has understood that his prediction has gone horribly wrong. Martinez turned out to be one of the club’s best signings in recent years.
The Argentine defender’s partnership with Raphael Varane helped United win the Carabao Cup and also make it through to the FA Cup finals. It’s hard to find any fault in the butcher as he has been the best player on the pitch.
Unfortunately, his injury proved to be the turning point for the club as they lost a string of matches in the last few games.
Martinez has been sidelined for the remainder of the season but the fans will be eagerly waiting for his return during the preseason campaign.
