There is something about Argentinian footballers that just endears them to the Manchester United supporters.
Yes, the less said about Angel di Maria the better. Gabriel Heinze and Carlos Tevez departed under a cloud too, the former flirting with Liverpool and the latter defecting to Manchester City.
But, like Lisandro Martinez, Alejandro Garnacho and to a lesser extent Marcos Rojo, Heinze and Tevez quickly captured the hearts of the Red Devils fanbase during happier times at Manchester United.
For better or for worse – the line between aggression and recklessness is a fine one indeed – the natural fighting spirit embodied by many of Man United’s Albiceleste alumni bears the makings of cult hero status.
Garnacho, like a young Tevez, loves nothing more than tearing into opposition defences; fearless, thundering and earning the admiration of club legends from Ryan Giggs to Roy Keane.
Martinez, meanwhile, shares Heinze’s adoration for bone-rattling tackles.
And, speaking to La Nacion, the World Cup and Copa America winner opens up on the role Heinze played in inspiring a young Martinez to follow in his footsteps.
- READ MORE: Who is Lisandro Martinez? Step inside the life of Manchester United’s tenacious Argentine
Lisandro Martinez idolises former Manchester United ace
“I have always seen myself in him,” explains the £57 million signing from Ajax. “The way he took on each game, his determination, how he fought for his team, how he fought to win.
“That blood, that personality… I always felt identified with him, with his game and with his way of being.
Heinze joined Man United from Paris Saint-Germain back in 2004, nearly two decades before Martinez’s own Old Trafford unveiling.
The pair did cross paths briefly at Argentine outfit Newell’s Old Boys. Martinez was rising through the ranks while Heinze was winding down his career.
And Man United’s number six will always remember the sight of Heinze pushing his body to the limit in the gym. A sight which proved, to Martinez, that his idol’s fierce determination was not merely limited to the pitch.
“One day, I was in the lower divisions of Newell’s. I must have been 15 or 16 years old, and they sent us to do something in the gym,” Martinez recalls. “(Heinze) was injured. Because of his rehabilitation he was having problems.
“And I kept looking at him. The seriousness with which he did those exercises, it was killing me… I couldn’t stop looking at him!
“Do I know him? I only spoke to him once, but I would love to really meet him for a long chat, to talk a lot about football and life with him.”
World Cup winner explains why Argentine’s are so loved
Martinez, when asked why Argentine footballers tend to thrive in England, feels that much can be explained by the natural competitive spirit that underpins the nation’s psyche.
A spirit that appears to cross the border into Uruguay, Manuel Ugarte bringing his own ‘garra charrua’ qualities to Old Trafford.
“We Argentines are very grateful. When someone gives us a hand, opens their home to us, bets on us and trusts us, we return (that faith) and kill for the one who believed,” Martinez says.
“I’ll explain it to you like this; clubs buy us and then, automatically, an internal instinct awakens in us that tells us that we have to give our lives for that club. We Argentines are very competitive, so we want to take that club to the top.
“And that way of being causes you to motivate your teammates, for them to catch on, for the mentality to be positive and winning. People immediately pick up on it.
“I think that’s why we’re so loved. The fans want their players to give their lives for their club, and the Argentines do just that. We immediately blend in with the club, and the fans notice it quickly. And something else; that connection happens because it’s spontaneous.
“It’s not forced. It’s from the heart. It’s noble.”
Receive a digest of our best United content each week direct to your mailbox
