Lisandro Martínez considered retirement after ACL injury, daughter's

Manchester United defender Lisandro Martínez has revealed that he seriously considered retiring from professional football after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury last year. The Argentine international opened up about the emotional toll the injury took on him and how the birth of his daughter helped him rediscover his purpose.

Struggling with the injury

Martínez, 26, sustained the ACL injury during a match in April 2024, which sidelined him for several months. In a recent interview, he admitted that the physical and mental challenges of recovery led him to contemplate ending his career. “I was considering retirement from football after I suffered ACL injury last year,” Martínez said. “I just didn't want to suffer anymore, you know?”

The defender described feeling deeply discouraged during his rehabilitation. “I was really hit low,” he added, reflecting on the darkest moments of his recovery process.

A turning point

Martínez credited the birth of his daughter as the pivotal moment that shifted his perspective. “But then my daughter was born, and that kind of balanced everything out for me,” he explained. Watching his wife go through childbirth gave him renewed strength. “I saw how my wife gave birth and the immense effort she made, and I said to myself: How am I not going to keep fighting?”

The defender has since returned to training and is working toward full fitness, with his family providing a new source of motivation. Martínez joined Manchester United from Ajax in 2022 and has been a key figure in the team's defense when fit.