Emi Martinez: Luck Came to Me at 28

"When I first came to England, Arsenal loaned me out to six different lower league teams. For 10 years I always waited on the bench. I have not forgotten that my father cried because he could not pay our house bills. Luck came to me at 28, and from that day on I fought for my family in every match." Emiliano Martinez, who has twice claimed the World's Best Goalkeeper title and carried Argentina to the 2022 FIFA World Cup, summarised the unseen side of his career in a single post. The message echoed loudly on social media on Saturday.

The heart of the story lies in Buenos Aires in 2010. The 17-year-old Emiliano had come up through Independiente's academy with a single fixed target: the Argentina national team. But one day a phone call came from his agent; Arsenal had made an offer. "I was scared," Martinez says looking back. "On the plane I told my agent, 'I'm only going for trial, I won't stay.' In my mind, there was no way I was going to leave my family." His family was going through financial difficulties at the time — his truck-driver father struggled to pay the rent and cried at night. In another interview, Martinez had used these words: "There was a day my brother and I ate while our parents did not. That image is still in my head."

The signature was put for Arsenal; he was lifted from Independiente for £1.1 million. But the first decade in North London was not what he expected. Manuel Almunia, Wojciech Szczęsny, Petr Cech, David Ospina, Łukasz Fabiański, and finally Bernd Leno — all were ahead of him. Unable to find his chance, over the years Martinez was loaned to six different clubs: Oxford United, Sheffield Wednesday, Rotherham United, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Getafe and Reading. Throughout the process he carried his dream: to be Arsenal's No. 1. The event that triggered renewal was Bernd Leno's injury in June 2020. His age then was 27, almost 28.

Luck did not come on its own: in the 2020 FA Cup final against Chelsea, Martinez stood tall and lifted the cup. After the match he broke down in tears in front of the BBC cameras — his words "I fought for my family, I waited ten years" became an unforgettable moment for Arsenal fans. Aubameyang consoled him on the pitch. He could hardly find the strength to speak clearly. It was a miracle for Arsenal supporters; for Martinez it was the moment he kept the promise he gave his father.

Image: Emi Martinez from his Arsenal years — dailycannon.com

The story took a different turn in September 2020. When Mikel Arteta positioned Leno as the No. 1, Martinez refused to remain as backup. Aston Villa stepped in with £20 million, and the Argentine transferred to Birmingham. "Going from Arsenal to Villa is a step up," he said in those days. Birmingham opened a completely different career door for him. He drew attention in his first season in the Aston Villa shirt and was called up to Lionel Scaloni's Argentina national team.

The rest is history. Martinez carried his country to a major cup after 28 years with his performance against Brazil in the 2021 Copa América. The historic save he made against Randal Kolo Muani in the final minutes of the 2022 World Cup against France, followed by his success in the penalties, lifted him to legendary status. He won the Yashin Trophy (Golden Glove) at the same tournament. He also embraced The Best award twice (2022, 2023). At 32 years old, the Argentine goalkeeper rose from "the young man waiting on the bench" story to the status of the world's best keeper.

His Saturday post was viewed tens of thousands of times in a short period. But the real message is much deeper than social media numbers: the story of the patience, hard work, and the battle for family of a young man who had to move away from his family at 17 and could not take to the pitch for ten years. Martinez delivers another message to young athletes with this post: Luck may be late, but when it comes, everything can change.