Lisandro Martínez on knee injury: “I wanted to quit football” | OneFootball

Lisandro Martínez, defender for Manchester United and the Argentine National Team, regained his place and became captain of the Red Devils in the Premier League after overcoming a torn cruciate ligament in his left knee. He described how cruel the recovery period was: “After the first two or three weeks, I didn’t want to play football anymore.”

Martínez, who was injured in February 2025, began his account: “I went into total imbalance because the pain is unbearable. My first reaction was: ‘I’m going home, I’m going to be with my family in Argentina. That’s it, I don’t want to suffer anymore, I want to be well, I want to enjoy life.’ When you’re unbalanced, you can end up saying anything, because you’re not connected with yourself. Later, I accepted those three weeks of mourning, when I wasn’t myself.”

Shortly after his injury, the former Defensa y Justicia player became a father for the first time. “A month after the incident, she was born and I said: ‘No, no… There’s no way I’m giving up.’ She became my motivation every day. I went to every training session to give my best purely and exclusively for my daughter.”

Then, the 27-year-old from Entre Ríos recalled his rehabilitation process: “You have to reinvent yourself, because you start from zero in every sense: physically, mentally, and personally. You feel like you’re not a football player.” He also revealed what kept him strong: “I clung to the people around me, my family and friends. They tell you not to give up, they help you and push you forward. Those are the people you need so you don’t choose the easy way out, which is to throw in the towel and that’s it.”

Finally, Martínez reflected: “Obviously, it’s a bit strong to say thank you to this injury because nobody likes to be injured, but thanks to this injury I can say today that I’ve changed a lot as a person. My perspective on life: I value life more, the weather, the smell of the grass, a ball, stepping onto the pitch, everything.”

After Manchester United’s victory over Newcastle on December 26, which marked his return to the pitch after ten months of inactivity, Martínez explained: “I feel very good. The club did a great job and that helped me feel good now. Physically and mentally, I’m better than ever.”

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.