Emiliano Martinez's old mentor has revealed the shot-stopper’s secrets which propelled him from a reserve to World Cup winner.
The Argentina and Aston Villa No.1 starred in Qatar last month as Lionel Messi lifted the trophy after a dramatic penalty shoot out. It left Martinez on top of the world aged 30, but the star has had a gradual rise to the summit after only making his international debut in June 2021.
His career didn’t fully take off until then-Villa goalkeeping coach Neil Cutler urged the club to splash out £20million to buy Martinez in 2020 from Arsenal. It finally gave the shot-stopper regular Premier League games after he only made 11 top-flight starts in nine years for the Gunners.
Now, former Stoke 'keeper Cutler, looking to get back into the game after leaving Villa when Unai Emery arrived with his own backroom staff last October, has lifted the lid on the work behind Martinez’s success.
Cutler, 46, said of the Argentine: “He is so driven and passionate about his own development, progression and winning things - that he was only ever going to get better when Villa signed him.
“It was just a matter of getting the detail into him and pushing him in the right direction to add that consistency to his work and feel a bit of love. I don’t think he got that love at Arsenal.
“There would be someone else on top of him and they would leave and then there would be someone else come in ahead of him. But we felt Villa would be perfect for him and really help him fulfil his aims.
“When he first arrived, we pinned up a list of targets inside his locker and he would work his way through them. They were: get in the Argentina squad, win the Copa America, clean sheet targets and save percentages.
“He achieved them all because his dedication and desire to succeed is the best I have ever seen. He regularly doesn’t sleep much after games.
“He is often in his swimming pool at home in the small hours to prepare for the next game or session. Even if it was a late game, he would still be in the pool and stretching afterwards. He has his own yoga and pilates teacher and really looks after himself with his nutrition.
“He would use the club masseurs regularly, too, there were no stones left unturned. I’ve also seen him play games with high temperatures and niggles or after having an injection and painkillers.”
Villa, who visit Southampton on Saturday, have made Martinez one of their vice-captains this season as the star matures into a leader. But he did tarnish his image picking up the Golden Glove award after the World Cup final when he held it over his private parts in a crude gesture after Argentina won the trophy for the first time since 1986.
Cutler admitted: “He (Martinez) can be like a big kid who gets carried away sometimes. But if you understand what he has done to get where he is, you have to forgive what he did. He deserved to let his hair down. He put his whole life into that moment.”
Martinez, who kept three clean sheets in Qatar, was one of the stars of the final, denying France’s Randal Kolo Muani at the death before starring in the shootout as he did against Netherlands in the quarters.
Cutler said: “We felt Emi was at his best when he was being confident to the point of arrogance. I would push him to that edge. For penalties, he will study players a lot and what they were best at.
“He would look at the run-ups for any clues where they might go. He is very good at reading opponents and we would also work on stepping sideways as his first move, rather than forwards. But, most of all, he goes a lot on instinct.”
Such is Martinez’s dedication to the game, Cutler expects the shot-stopper to excel into his late 30s. But he admits the 'keeper, under contract until 2027, is likely to have a big decision at Villa in future.
Cutler assessed: “I don’t think he (Martinez) will up and leave right now, because Emi is happy. He will have his head down, but I am sure his agent will be working behind the scenes to try and find a Champions League club.
“It will be up to Villa to keep striving to get into Europe, because with the size of the club and the ambitions, that has to be the aim.”
