Can Martinez — cult hero and pantomime villain — settle back into Villa life?

The goalkeeper played a central role in Argentina’s World Cup win, with videos of both his exploits and his antics going viral. How will the life-changing highs of Qatar affect his tenure at a club currently in the Premier League’s bottom half?

During Emiliano Martinez’s various loan spells between 2012 and 2019, the path to lifting the World Cup — a childhood dream — must have seemed forbiddingly improbable. 

He was just 17 when he moved from Argentine club Independiente to Arsenal for £1m. It was a punt from the London club — a typical Arsene Wenger signing during that period of tight finances — for Martinez was talented, but a work in progress. He was loaned out as many as six times, but never received the volume of game-time either he or Arsenal wanted. 

Being tossed around in an endless spin cycle can crush the spirit. But the Argentine shot-stopper never gave up on his dream. After breaking into the Arsenal first XI under Mikel Arteta in June 2020, when Bernd Leno was injured, he saw out the rest of the season as first choice. He also won silverware when Arsenal claimed the FA Cup.

But once he realised he wasn’t assured of a starting spot, he decided to shift to a club where he could play regularly and make a strong case for becoming the Argentina No. 1. He signed a four-year contract with Aston Villa in a £20 million transfer. The decision has clearly paid off.

For, earlier this month, Martinez was greeted by a crowd estimated at 100,000 in his hometown, Mar del Plata, having played a central, often dramatic, role in Argentina claiming world football’s biggest prize. The 30-year-old basked in the adulation as he showed the crowd his trophy as goalkeeper of the tournament and told them it was “not only for me but for all the kids, the little goalkeepers, who dream of going for the fourth star”. 

Wenger, who had watched the tournament at close quarters, saluted Martinez’s resilience. “We were aware of his huge qualities. He was determined and had a desire to learn and a big passion for the game,” Wenger told the Mirror. “Sometimes he went out on loan and didn’t even play. But it didn’t stop his belief and motivation. When I see him now play, knowing what he went through, I admire even more his achievement.”

Martinez is the first World Cup-winner from the resort town south of Buenos Aires, where tennis player Guillermo Vilas was previously the most famous sports personality. But after his heroics and antics in Qatar, it’s safe to say that Martinez’s fame isn’t confined to Mar del Plata. He is now one of the world’s best-known footballers. Almost everything he did, on and off the pitch, went viral — quite the achievement for a goalkeeper. “This is a beautiful thing, that a goalkeeper gets this recognition, because this is almost always given to strikers,” he said.