Arsene Wenger has paid tribute to Emiliano Martinez's "big passion" which has carried him all the way to a World Cup final.
Aston Villa keeper Martinez has completed an incredible journey from humble beginnings in Argentina, moving to Arsenal as a teenager and being farmed out on loan. Now, Martinez’s remarkable "determination" has taken him to the top of the game and into the biggest night of his life as Lionel Messi and Argentina can conquer the world.
Former Arsenal boss Wenger, who was in charge when Martinez moved to the Emirates ten years ago, told Mirror Sport: "I am very happy for him. We were aware of his huge qualities. He was determined and had a desire to learn and a big passion for the game.
"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. Well done Emi, we are proud of you."
Martinez has come such a long way from being born in a small port town Mara del Plata where his father Alberto tried to make ends meet selling fish while his mother Susana was a maid. His grandfather had escaped Spain and the Franco regime which is the reason why he was entitled to a Spanish passport and gave him the route to Arsenal when they spotted him playing for Independiente as a teenager.
Arsenal’s legendary scout, the late Steve Rowley, had impeccable contacts in South America as their lead scout Sandro Orlandelli and Argentinian scout Pablo Budna recommended him to the Gunners. It was Arsenal’s former transfer fixer Dick Law who did the deal with Independiente for just £1m up front, £1m in bonuses based on appearances and he arrived in England not being able to speak a word of English.
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Law remembers with great fondness his early determination to succeed in English football by learning the language with a Proficiency Test often used for overseas students and passport applications.
"We put a bonus in his first contract when he joined Arsenal that he would get a bonus when he passed the English Proficiency Test. And he did it before Christmas," said Law. That shows that he’s somebody he’s got a lot of character, willpower and enormous drive. I don’t know how many contracts I did with him - I did two or three before I left in 2017 - but he was so driven."
Martinez has the heart of a lion on the pitch but a big heart off it. Law said: "I remember his second or third contract and I remember asking him: 'Emi, what are you going to do? Are you going to buy a house and settle here?'
"He said: 'No, I’m going to do two things: I don’t want my mum to work anymore and I’m going to buy her her own flat.' That says so much about him as a person. What fans don’t always see is the other side of footballers. They see them in cup finals or big matches and think it’s always been that way."
Martinez had eight years at Arsenal, was farmed out on loan six times and, incredibly, played just 11 Premier League games but became a hero in their FA Cup triumph in lockdown in 2020. But Martinez had become impatient and was determined to establish himself as a No1 especially with the dream of establishing himself as Argentina’s first choice.
He went to Aston Villa two years ago and the rest is history. But Law has no doubt that he will fill the goal in every sense for Argentina in the final on Sunday and can become a national hero.
Law added: "He’s fearless and he’s got a body to match. His physique is incredible. If I’m a striker then I’m not going to challenge. He’s bot scared of anybody and not scared of anything. He’ll always come out for crosses.
"He did get frustrated, he was always knocking on the manager’s door. A goalkeeper is the hardest position in football. There’s only one harder position in football and that’s to be the No2 goalkeeper. I’m certain it was a very hard day for Emi when he transferred out of Arsenal.
"But it’s that drive and single-mindedness which is the reason why he is now standing in goal for a World Cup final. When he transferred to Villa, I sent him a note of congratulations. I’ve got his number and I’ll text him after the final because to be the No1 keeper... it doesn’t get much better than that."
