Paul Parker defends Lisandro against height discrimination: Man Utd hero speaks out

"I hope you're not asking that because of my height at 5'7? That would be height-ism!" he says with a chuckle. Despite facing worse challenges, he doesn't quite understand the debate.

“I find it very, very strange in today's football that that can be brought up. But such is the media on Manchester United these days that anything United buy is never good. It's never going to be solid, it's never great. There's always a reason behind it. And for the likes of Jamie Carragher to come out and say something like that just shows how naive some people are.

“They're on TV, they're doing the top football shows, and yet they don't really think about their game as players. I played more games as centre-back than I played as full-back. I wasn't tall, but I could out-jump 99% of the people who was on a football field. I had a run and a jump and the timing, and I beat most people. Sir Alex Ferguson initially looked at me as playing centre-back,” tells Parker who won both the Premier League and FA Cup during his five years with Manchester United.

“Look at the Premier League, the best football league in the world, they keep telling themselves. No one's lumping the ball in the box and just hoping. You're not having to scrap for the ball in the air in the box. If you were going to do that, everyone would be signing 6'6" centre-halves and full-backs. 

“Lisandro Martinez is a great header of the ball, the man is a World Cup winner and he's in that side because he's a good footballer. I thought it was all about being a good footballer. So, I think it's weak when people come up and say stuff like that. I haven't seen him being embarrassed. Even the tallest players lose. Size isn't everything.”

Paul Parker was talking to Tribalfootball on behalf of William Hill Vegas.