Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk surprisingly jumped into the defense of Manchester United defender Lisandro Martinez.
Martinez has become the subject of unwarranted and unnecessary ridicule by a section of the media, mostly spearheaded by Liverpool-affiliated pundits such as Jamie Carragher and Graeme Souness.
The pair have repeatedly taken it upon themselves to criticize the United centre-back, especially for his height, saying he will be “exposed” in the Premier League.
On the contrary, Martínez has been a rock in defense and has helped United become a compact and solid team that barely concede goals.
Martinez’s displays have endeared him to United fans who call him “the butcher” for his no-nonsense defence.
Van Dijk spoke about Martínez and praised the Argentine for his incredible and perfect adaptation to the Premier League.
Van Dijk said: “The people who talk about Lisandro Martinez and his height, are talking absolute nonsense.”
“He can help as a central defender if you’re a bit taller, but what he’s done since coming to the Premier League has been good.
On the attacks on Martinez, Van Dijk added: “In England, everyone has to say something about everyone. The [Lisandro Martinez] He already showed a lot of good performances.”
????️ Virgil van Dijk: “In England, everyone has to say something about everyone. The [Lisandro Martinez] He already showed a lot of good performances.” https://t.co/ioM7bjqbRz
– Football Tweet ⚽ (@Football__Tweet) November 3, 2022
It says a lot that a Liverpool player can put his differences aside and be objective, while others like Carragher and Souness apparently can’t.
However, United fans will not be fazed.
The Old Trafford faithful know the kind of player they have on their hands and what he can bring to the team. Van Dijk’s words only serve to reinforce what every fan already knew.
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