Man United: 5ft 9ins defender Lisandro Martinez says he 'doesn't CARE' about criticism of his height

Lisandro Martinez has hit back at critics of his height, insisting self-belief and hard work can compensate for his lack of stature.

Manchester United signed the 5ft 9ins centre back for £55million from Ajax this summer, with new manager Erik ten Hag desperate for the Argentine to fix their leaky defence.

And Martinez told TyC Sports he 'doesn't care' about his detractors - before admitting it is a 'dream come true' to represent the Red Devils in the Premier League.

He said: '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.'

The 24-year-old struggled in his first two appearances in the English top-flight, and was widely considered to have been 'bullied' by target men Danny Welbeck (6ft 1in) and Ivan Toney (6ft 2ins) as United lost against Brighton and Brentford respectively.

But the eight-cap international, who played 90 minutes as Lionel Scaloni's side beat Honduras 3-0 on Saturday, was a dogged and composed playmaking presence at the back as United went on a four-match winning run, starting with Liverpool.

Pundit Jamie Carragher, a former Liverpool centre back, said earlier this month: 'I wouldn't want a centre-back who was 5ft 9ins in my team. I would not.'