Former Manchester United vice captain, Patrice Evra, has suggested that he loves defender, Lisandro Martinez, because the Argentine plays with his heart.

According to him, Martinez is ready to bleed for the shirt, adding that his diminutive stature does not matter.

Martinez, who is at the moment with the Argentina World Cup squad in Qatar, has enjoyed a brilliant start to his Man United career after joining the Premier League giants from Ajax in the summer.

“This is one of the best signings we have had for years at Manchester United,” Evra told Vibe with Five's YouTube channel.

“It is because of his fighting spirit." That is what Manchester United fans want to see – those players have to bleed for the shirt.

“People were talking about his height, and I was laughing. Some people said I was too small when I arrived in the Premier League as well. When you play with that heart and passion, size does not matter.

“When he gets the ball, he’s so clean and composed." Mexico was pressing everywhere [during Argentina’s World Cup game against Mexico], but every time he got the ball, he was calm and playing forward. That is what I love.

“He does not play those one-meter balls to the next player." This is easy. When I see those stats – I remember Per Mertesacker at Arsenal. The stats said he never lost the ball – but he was passing it one meter. I can do that every day.

“But Martinez puts the ball through the lines like Michael Carrick." That is what he does, and I love that. "What a player, what a player.”