Jack Wilshere would have ‘laughed’ at the idea of Emiliano Martinez playing in a World Cup final while together at Arsenal. But he will do that for Argentina against France on Sunday.
Martinez has helped La Albiceleste to the final at Qatar 2022 in what will be Lionel Messi’s final World Cup game. The Argentina icon told Star+, via TN, that the tournament is his last on the global stage. He is featuring at his fifth edition of the quadrennial FIFA competition.
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Martinez, on the other hand, is playing at the 30-year-old’s first World Cup after enjoying his Argentina debut in 2021. Albiceleste coach Lionel Scaloni gave the shot-stopper his bow in June of last year. It was 10 years and three days since he had first appeared on their bench.
Argentina bosses old and current continually overlooked Martinez during his decade with Arsenal. Before making the bench in June 2011, the goalkeeper quit Independiente in 2010 for £1m. He then endured eight years in the international wilderness without any call-ups.
Scaloni brought Martinez in from the cold as his #2 goalkeeper in October 2019 and it was not until June 2021 that he featured. Yet after helping Argentina win the Copa America in 2021, the Mar del Plata native has firmly been the South American’s first choice in the net.
A World Cup final follows Martinez’s Argentina rise since leaving Arsenal
Martinez’s breakthrough with Argentina came after a strong first season with Aston Villa in 2020/21. Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta sold the goalkeeper to the Villa Park club for £17m in September 2020. He left the Gunners after playing just 38 matches across all competitions.
The Independiente product failed to establish himself in north London between loans with Oxford United, Sheffield Wednesday, Rotherham, Wolves, Getafe and Reading. But his last act at Arsenal saw the Gunners win the FA Cup after starting in the 2020 final with Chelsea.
Arteta afforded Martinez 23 of his 38 appearances with Arsenal during the 2019/20 season before selling him to Aston Villa. He also played every minute of their FA Cup run and shut Manchester City out in the semi-finals. Arsenal beat Chelsea 2-1 in their final at Wembley.
Wilshere never thought Martinez would achieve so much whilst at Arsenal
Wilshere has now admitted that he never expected to see Martinez feature in a World Cup final while the Argentina goalkeeper was at Arsenal. But to see the Aston Villa star achieve so much thrills the Gunners hero as Martinez has played ‘no small part’ in Argentina’s run.
“Emi was with us for eight years and I was so pleased for him that he got to play in the FA Cup final and won it before he moved on to Aston Villa,” Wilshere wrote in his column for The Sun. “His emotional reaction at full-time said so much about his journey to get there.
“But if you had told me back in 2012 that he would play in a World Cup final in Messi’s final game in the competition, I’d have laughed. That’s not because Emi wasn’t good enough. It’s just an amazing tale for him to be on the pitch with Messi.”
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