Aston: Argentina’s Copa America hero, Emiliano Martinez revealed the darkest phase in his career when he ‘stopped loving football’ and how loan deals saved him. The 28-year-old played a crucial part in Argentina’s Copa Amertica 2021-winning campaign making some of the best saves under the bar in history.
This was also the first time Argentina won the Copa America since 1993, and Martinez’s contribution is huge. Not only he provided with brilliant saves in Brazil, but also impressed with his goalkeeping in the Premier League for Aston Villa in a short span of time last season.
“I don’t think you prepare for not playing, I always thought I had the talent but at some stage in my career when I was 22, 23 and I wasn’t playing, I went on my first loan to Spain, I played only six games,” said Martinez in an interview to Football Daily.
Martinez said that he had to go through a lot of low moments in his life , before his career took a turn for better. While at certain points he had thoughts of quiting the game but his passion kept him going.
The Mar Del Plata player joined Arsenal in 2009 as a teenager but his way to the first team was blocked by a series of better ‘keepers, having spent most of his time on temporary loan deals including to the Spanish side Getafe which he particularly remembers to have been underwhelming.
ʀᴇᴀᴅʏ @premierleague ✅
— Emi Martínez (@emimartinezz1) August 13, 2021
Listo para el comienzo de la @premieleague ✅ pic.twitter.com/KPl9QXYMwW
“Then I knew I would have to go back to Arsenal and they wouldn’t give me a chance, so I would have to go on loan, so those years were really difficult, at some point I stopped loving football,” he continued.
“That was something I was worried about, I told my wife, ‘I know I’m not playing but I’ve stopped watching football games,’ so it wasn’t an easy place to be. Then I went on loan again to Reading in the Championship, a league which I didn’t want to be in,” he added .
“I put myself in a position: I have a newborn baby, this is going to be my last loan. I got that in my head, I started with a psychologist that helped me through my bad moment, it helped me to get past my frustrations.”
His only stint for the North London side came in his final season at Arsenal in 2019-20 when Bernd Leno had to be sidelined for injury. Martinez had quite a few amazing display under the bar that garnered interests among many clubs.
With the return of Leno, and his chances becoming sparse, Martinez opted to sign for Aston Villa under coach Dean Smith. “Because I always believed I had the talent, I always believed in myself, that I could be one of the best,” said the Copa America winner.
In the Aston Villa shirt, Martinez had 15 clean sheets making him standout as the EPL side made a comfortable mid-table finish last season. Things got even better as Argentina boss Lionel Scaloni named him in the starting XI for the crucial Copa America games. He kept his respect by being one of the best players on field in the Albiceleste jersey through out the campaign.
Martinez conceded only twice in six matches and stood out amazing against Colombia in the semifinal denying them three penalties. As Argentina lifted their much-waited Copa America, Martinez was awarded with the Best Goalkeeper of the Tournament, gaining words of praises from skipper and talisman Lionel Messi himself .
The story of Emiliano Martinez’s rise is a shining example of how perseverance is an important key to success for all the struggling footballers out there who have thought of giving up and tired of waiting for their big break.
With Premier League already underway, Martinez will be looking to continue his impressive performances in the Aston Villa shirt as well against Watford on Saturday.
