Lisandro Martinez admits he doesn’t know who first branded him as ‘The Butcher’ but has suggested two reasons why he may have been given the title.
The defender has been a colossus at the back for Manchester United this season and has taken to the hearts of Reds fans. Chants of ‘Argentina’ are commonly heard from the terraces with accompanying flags.
Upon his return to Old Trafford after his World Cup success, United fans unveiled a giant Argentina flag with a butcher’s knife in the middle in reference to his nickname. “I don’t know why at Ajax they called me 'The Butcher',” Martinez said, as per the Mirror.
READ MORE: American hedge fund giant 'enters' Manchester United takeover race
“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.” It’s this passion that has made him a fan-favourite and one of the first names on Erik ten Hag’s team sheet.
Martinez detailed that his furious play was honed in the Netherlands at Ajax and that he found it difficult to keep up at first. “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,” he said, admitting: “I suffered a lot at first, so much that I wanted to cry.”
The 25-year-old added: “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.”
Unpacking where his in-game fight came from, Martinez said: “I lived in a boarding house when I joined Newell’s (Old Boys, in Argentina) 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.”
READ NEXT:
