Martinez expresses his national pride

The centre-back made his first international appearance since signing for the Reds in the summer, as the South Americans faced Honduras at Miami's Hard Rock Stadium on Friday night.

Wearing the no.2 shirt at the heart of the defence, 'Licha' helped to keep a clean sheet as a 16th-minute opener by his namesake Lautaro Martinez and a double from iconic forward Lionel Messi secured a comprehensive 3-0 win.

Messi's penalty in first-half injury time and sumptuous chip in the 69th minute were his 87th and 88th goals for Argentina in 164 games. Meanwhile, United defender Martinez has eight caps to his name, having made his debut in a 3-1 defeat to Venezuela back in March 2019.

After Friday's win over Honduras, Lisandro tweeted a succinct message - "Pride and happiness every time we represent our country" - and three photos from the game, showing him in the starting line-up, celebrating with team-mates including Messi and making a trademark robust tackle on Honduras midfielder Omar Elvir.

Martinez is the seventh Red to play for Argentina's senior side while on United's books, after Juan Sebastian Veron, Gabriel Heinze, Carlos Tevez, Angel Di Maria, Marcos Rojo and Sergio Romero.

Young striker Alejandro Garnacho hopes to follow in their footsteps after earning several Under-20 caps for the South American giants.

Orgullo y felicidad cada vez que representamos a nuestro país.
🇦🇷👏🏻🇦🇷 Vamos @Argentina!! pic.twitter.com/naL3VfLTRR

— Lisandro Martinez (@LisandrMartinez) September 24, 2022

When interviewed after the game by TyC Sports in Argentina, Martinez reflected on his move to United and revealed how he responded to media criticism after the early defeats with his new club.

"To be honest, it’s a dream come true to be playing at such a big club as Manchester United, especially playing in the Premier League, which I think is one of the best leagues in the world," said Lisandro.

"It’s nice to catch the rhythm of the Premier League, so I’m very happy.

"I don't pay attention [to criticism]. I believe in myself, I trust myself. I always work hard every day. That's what's going to give you results at the end."