Exclusive: Erik ten Hag says Lisandro Martinez sets bar in Manchester United training - 'Always wants to win'

Erik ten Hag named Lisandro Martinez as one of the best trainers at Manchester United when he spoke to Rio Ferdinand for TNT Sports.

Ferdinand joined Manchester United in 2002 and won a host of trophies including six Premier League titles, two League Cups and the UEFA Champions League with The Red Devils before leaving for QPR in 2014, a year after Alex Ferguson’s retirement.

The 45-year-old now works as a pundit and has offered some criticism of his former team, and arrived at the Carrington training ground to interview current manager Ten Hag.

Ten Hag’s men have failed to match the standards of last season when they claimed a top-four spot and the League Cup, but while they remain in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup ahead of their tie on Sunday with Liverpool, they are eight points behind Aston Villa who sit fourth in the Premier League.

Ferdinand told the Dutchman that when he was at Old Trafford, it was midfielder Paul Scholes who set the tone and kept standards high in training, and asked which of the current squad play that role now.

He replied: “Raphael Varane, Casemiro, Bruno (Fernandes), and Licha Martinez, when he is on the training pitch, he is always (on the) front foot, always switched on.

“He always wants to win, even in small games.”

Ferdinand quizzed Ten Hag on whether he was happy to welcome former players back, and he explained why he was keen to do so, but noted that there were mixed feelings amongst the players.

He explained: “I always encouraged this, old players coming in, because we are family. The history, bringing in the DNA, they can help us. They can be supportive. The players like it.

“They don’t always like criticism from former players like you, of course they don’t like that. But I know why you're doing that, because you want the best for this club.”

In the same interview, Ten Hag lauded the progress of Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo this season, but said the duo face a ‘big fight’ to establish themselves in the first team.

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