Nicky Butt has issued a sharp retort to Manchester United’s Lisandro Martinez, telling the defender to “grow up” as their public disagreement continues to unfold.

On their podcast, Butt and fellow former player Paul Scholes humorously remarked before United’s derby victory that the size difference between Martinez and Erling Haaland was so pronounced that the towering 6-foot-5 Manchester City striker could easily toss the 5-foot-9 United defender into the goal.

However, following Martinez’s solid performance in helping his team secure a 2-0 victory over City, the Argentine defender called out the duo for their remarks, inviting them to repeat their jests in person at his home.

Despite acknowledging Martinez’s strong showing on the field, the verbal sparring shows no sign of abating, with the former United stars labeling Martinez as “sensitive” during an episode of The Good, The Bad & The Football podcast.

Butt commented, “For me, it’s like a casual chat among friends at a pub. It’s all in good humor.”

Nicky Butt has told Lisandro Martinez to ‘f*****g grow up’ after the United defender hit back at comments made by him and Paul Scholes

Martinez kept Erling Haaland quiet during United’s impressive 2-0 derby win over Man City

‘I think when people get so upset about someone in the media or on a podcast … saying “come to my house”, it’s like f***ing grow up.’

Scholes admitted that they could ‘possibly have worded it better’ but added: ‘You’re at Man United, probably the biggest club in the world. At some point, you are going to take some criticism. You’ve got to deal with that.’

Butt continued: ‘If you’re going to get so emotional about someone saying something about you and react like that, you shouldn’t be at a big football club.’

‘I’m telling you now he’s gonna get that for the rest of his career at Man United. You’re going to get get your ups, you’re going to get your downs. I got so much c**p when I played at Man United and Newcastle but then the next week you get you get you applauded.’

Butt added that he has ‘no personal issue’ with Martinez and that he was glad to see him perform well against City, but reminded the Argentinian that those are the standards expected at United.

Scholes said the point that they were trying to make was that the pair were a ‘mismatch’ on the pitch but admitted that they could possibly have ‘worded it better’ and said ‘it doesn’t sound brilliant when you listen to it back’.

‘But again as Nicky said, we’re just having a laugh about it,’ the ex-United midfielder continued. ‘If it was about you, you probably would be upset, but as Nicky said you’ve got to give him credit. He was brilliant.’ 

Scholes then revealed that he and Martinez had previously exchanged Instagram messages, where the United defender said he had ‘lost all respect’ for Scholes after comments he previously made.

The United legends mocked the defender’s size ahead of the Manchester Derby on Saturday

‘We exchanged messages on Instagram quite some time ago. He wasn’t happy with something I said in the past. It wouldn’t have said this normally but he’s come out and said stuff so why not. 

‘He said he’d lost all kinds of respect for me. As Nicky said two minutes ago, you’re at Man United, probably the biggest club in the world. At some point, as we did as players, you are gonna take some criticism. You’ve got to deal with that.’

‘He’s had one brilliant game,’ Scholes added. ‘When you start talking or shouting your mouth off, this game has a habit of coming and biting you back on the a**e.

‘I haven’t changed my opinion yet. I’m still not sure that you can win a league with him. He’s got to do it over a period of time.

‘What he did on Saturday was brilliant, yes, but you’ve got to do that now over a period of time to show you can win the league. They’ve got a big game at Arsenal on Sunday, so let’s see what happens.’

Scholes also says he has previously sent Martinez his phone number and hasn’t been contacted by him after the defender urged them to see him face-to-face.

‘I’m 50 years of age, I’m not going knocking on someone’s house saying “can we have a chat”,’ Butt added.

‘It’s just ridiculous… and if you’re going to get that precious you better be s**t hot every week.’

Martinez challenged the former United duo to go to his house and repeat their comments

Scholes and Butt both laughed on their podcast last week when Butt said: ‘Haaland would pick Martinez up and run with him. It’ll be like, you know, when you see a dad after school running down the road with a little toddler. That’s what it’d be like.’

Scholes added: ‘He’d score, then throw him in the net!’

On the latest episode, Scholes said he would use criticism as ‘fuel’ rather than ‘answering back’.

Butt added: ‘At Newcastle, when I had a bad time up there, I got so much stick. I did get people knocking at my door when my kids were in the house and throwing things at my windows, but I didn’t go out crying, that’s my job.

‘I’m a professional footballer, I get paid a lot of money to go and perform day, week in, week out.’

Butt also said he ‘feels really bad’ about the fallout from the comments but insists it ‘wasn’t personal’.

‘It was just a tongue-in-cheek chat about physicality,’ he explained. ‘The amount of c**p I’ve got on social media… just ignore it.’

‘But if we’re going to move on from this, I hold my hands up. He was brilliant on a day, well done. Every single one of them was, so no one’s more happy than me,’ he added.

Rio Ferdinand said that the duo made the row ‘personal’ with their comments last week

Their former team-mate Rio Ferdinand weighed in on the comments made by Butt and Scholes as he believes the pair had, in fact, made the row ‘personal’.

‘It’s not beef, I think it’s being made out to be beef,’ he told Rio Ferdinand Presents on Monday. ‘This week I think there has been some stuff that has probably been just over borderline, personal. 

‘I have spoken to Martinez a few times, online and in person, and he is someone who just wants to do well, win, get back to the standards Man United were at. He is eager to see that that looks like.

‘He has even invited me to go to the training ground, go and get a coffee – he is a sponge. The way he plays is the way I feel he is – he is an honest character and a good sort to have in the changing room.

‘He is within his rights, if something gets on his nerves… he has come out and said it. The way it has been taken I think needs some context. He is not saying, “Come and meet me anywhere and we will have a tear up” – he is saying, “Let’s have a conversation face to face is you have an issue”.

‘We are talking about a World Cup winner here, he knows how to win. I had a conversation with him after the game and he was quick and clear – we have a standard now and need momentum. What I would say is, when you are talking about people, if you feel you can say the same thing in front of them, then it is fair game.’