Jaap Stam hits back at criticism of Lisandro Martinez's height

Jaap Stam defends Lisandro Martinez over claims the 5ft 9in Manchester United defender is ‘too small’ as the ex-Red Devil hails his ‘quality on the ball’ and communication – insisting ‘big players make mistakes too’

  • Jaap Stam denied claims Lisandro Martinez is ‘too short’ to succeed at United
  • Martinez joined United from Ajax for £55m but has been attacked over his height
  • Martinez, 24, is the smallest centre-back in the Premier League standing at 5’9′
  • Pundits said he was bullied by Danny Welbeck (6ft 1in) and Ivan Toney (6ft 2in) 
  • Stam defended Martinez saying he is ‘quality on the ball’ and ‘quality in defence’ 

Jaap Stam has rubbished claims Lisandro Martinez is ‘too short’ to succeed in the Premier League for Manchester United.

Martinez – who joined United from Ajax in a £55million deal during the summer window – is 5ft 9in and has come under fire this season.

Pundits accused the 24-year-old of being ‘bullied’ by Danny Welbeck (6ft 1in) and Ivan Toney (6ft 2in) during United’s opening two games against Brighton and Brentford.

Jaap Stam (above) has denied claims Lisandro Martinez is ‘too short’ to succeed at United 

They continued to question whether Martinez – who is the smallest centre-back in the Premier League – would be able to deal with the physicality of the English top-flight.

However, Stam has defended Martinez  – claiming the former Ajax star is ‘quality on the ball’, ‘quality in defence’ and ‘good’ at communicating. 

Speaking to MEN, Stam said: ‘That was an easy one, the day when he signed for United, I had already said they will talk about his height. 

Martinez joined United from Ajax in a £55million deal during the summer transfer window


Pundits like Jamie Carragher (L) think Martinez (R) is too small to play in the Premier League

‘Over here [in England], everyone thinks as a centre-back you need to be big and tall, otherwise you won’t make it. 

‘The thing is, you need to look at the big picture of how the manager wants to play because that’s the most important thing. He wants to play dominating football, meaning you need to have players at the back who are comfortable on the ball.

‘Of course, sometimes he’s going to get surprised, but that’s what also happens with big players – they make mistakes as well.

‘Martinez shows his quality on the ball, he shows his quality when defending and his communication around him is good. He just needs to keep going.’

The 24-year-old was widely considered to have been ‘bullied’ by 6ft 2ins Brentford striker Ivan Toney (right) as United were thrashed 4-0 against Brentford in their second league game

Statistically, Martinez is doing well. He has won more aerial battles (5) than he has lost (3)

Martinez has also responded to claims he will struggled to impress due to his height. He old TyC Sports: ‘I don’t care about criticism. I believe in myself and I trust my abilities. 

‘I always worked hard. That’s what will make me have the results I want. ‘To be honest, it was a dream come true to play for a huge club like Manchester United, especially to play in the Premier League, which is one of the best leagues in the world. I am really happy.’

Statistically, Martinez has won more aerial battles (five) than he has lost (three). He has also made 11 clearances by heading the ball and kept two clean sheets for United in six Premier League game. 




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