Jude Bellingham reveals what Martinez said to him after Man Utd star’s horror tackle on England ace sparked ugly melee
JUDE BELLINGHAM has revealed what Lisandro Martinez said to him after the Argentine’s nasty tackle on the England ace sparked an ugly melee.
Bellingham was on the scoresheet as Real Madrid beat Manchester United 2-0 in the Houston friendly.
But tempers flared during a fiery encounter, with Bellingham reacting angrily after being clattered by Martinez several times.
And after one particularly bad challenge, the pair squared up to each other on the pitch as United and Real team-mates sprinted over and became involved in a melee.
Bellingham and Martinez, who is nicknamed The Butcher of Amsterdam from his time at Ajax, were then seen talking again as the latter was subbed off later on.
But the midfielder says their argument is now water under the bridge, admitting he has “huge respect” for Martinez thanks to an unexpected post-match bromance.
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Bellingham declared: “The little tiff with Martinez is one of those things. He is a brilliant player.
“I came in at half-time and I was f’ing this and f’ing that. But when he came over to wish me all the best when he came off, I really respected it.
“I know what goes on the pitch stays on the pitch. I saw him at the end of the game and wished him well.
“I can respect that when two players are trying to win their team and can come together and be respectful after the game.
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“He is a great competitor and a great player. Just like me, he wants to win. Sometimes it spills over.
“That is part of the game. I am really respectful. We can have that moment after the game.”
Bellingham was awarded man-of-the-match for his dazzling performance.
He added: “I look like I am enjoying it, I like to think. So far, so good. I am enjoying playing with this team, learning from so many great players.
“I am definitely not getting carried away just yet. There are big challenges to come this season.
“I was confident coming here because I knew how good the players were. I know the qualities I can bring and I feel like I have slotted in..
“There is a lot to aim for and rightly so. It is the biggest club with the best players.
“The expectations are high as they should be. It is about us going out there and matching that.
“The standards that are set and the way everyone applies themselves in training, the mentality day in day out. I enjoy that.”
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