Emiliano Martinez’s incredible career from losing debut as emergency keeper at Port Vale to Argentina World Cup finalist
EMI MARTINEZ had sleepless nights at the start of the season due to Aston Villa’s dodgy results.
So, you can bet he will not be getting much kip on Saturday night ahead of Argentina’s World Cup final.
The keeper also blubbed like a baby on television after helping Arsenal to win the FA Cup with a 2-1 triumph over Chelsea in 2020.
Equally, you can bet he will be crying for Argentina if he completes an absolutely epic journey from the Potteries to the top of the world on Sunday.
His professional career started at the age of 19 when he had three goals stuck past him away at Port Vale when on loan at Oxford in League Two.
So if anyone deserves to be lining up behind Lionel Messi in the World Cup final, it is the bloke who left his family in South America for London as a teenager, ignored the doubters and displayed a bloody-minded refusal to give up on his dream even when he was drifting around the EFL on loan from Arsenal.
Martinez, now 30, only joined Villa because he felt he was not trusted at the Emirates.
Even his Argentina debut, against Chile in June 2021, was unusual because he had never played a competitive professional game in his home nation.
But already during this tournament, Martinez is a hero after his two saves helped the team to a 4-3 shoot-out win against Holland in the quarter-finals.
Against the Croatians, Martinez had a quiet game.
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At 2-0, he thought he had made a decent save but the offside flag was waved.
He came off his line in the second half to push away a free-kick and made a half-decent stop from a set-piece at 3-0.
Yet hilariously, when Messi stepped up to take his first half penalty with the score goalless, Martinez was unable to watch and he stood on one knee facing the crowd.
Once the noisy fans erupted, Martinez turned around to watch his pals celebrate.
When Julian Alvarez bulldozed his way through the hapless Croatian defence, the Villa number one danced a jig of joy down the side of the 18-yard box.
Clearly, the final back here at Lusail Stadium will be a far tougher game, particularly if it is against France but Martinez knows he is within touching distance of a winners’ medal.
Martinez’s last game in the Premier League before the tournament was a 2-1 win for Villa at Brighton where international team-mate Alexis Mac Allister scored in the first minute for the south coast club.
But those players will be side-by-side when they go into combat on Sunday for their terrific fans over here.
Equally, Martinez will also be enjoying a fair amount of backing from Villa supporters in Birmingham along with those at Arsenal.
And the same will be said for the fans of Sheffield Wednesday, Rotherham, Wolves and Reading who will know their team have played a part, however small, in sending Martinez on his way to a terrific adventure which could end with the ultimate prize.
