Explore popular quotes and sayings by an Argentinian athlete Emiliano Martinez.
Last updated on December 22, 2024.
Damián Emiliano Martínez Romero is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Premier League club Aston Villa and the Argentina national team.
My dream is to play for Arsenal, I've always said that and I believe I have everything that a keeper needs to play for Arsenal.
I arrived at Arsenal in 2010, and had five spells out on loan - plus another one with Oxford where I played just once.
Talent is not enough. It's a mental game. You have to deal with frustration when you don't play, you have to deal with the pressure. There are no excuses.
The last loan spell, at Reading, was the one I enjoyed most. The manager, Jose Gomes, put a lot of faith in me and helped me develop.
It's been up and down in my Arsenal career, to be honest.
I used to play up front so I always had the ability to play with the ball, even though I am 6ft 4in.
When I was playing for Reading, I got this feeling of being the No 1 - and I want that at Arsenal.
The fact I have returned to Arsenal so many times is because they continued to believe I could become their No.1 goalkeeper.
We came from a poor, poor family and for them to see me winning a trophy in front of 90,000 people and getting a medal would be something.
I said to my mum when I turned 18 and moved into my first flat in Enfield, 'I don't want to come back to my country with nothing. I want to make a career here.' I did not want to let them down.
I had 11 years at the club, and even if it was a hard road for me, and I suffered through my time at Arsenal, today I am happy and I tried to show young goalies how work pays off.
I'm at an age now where I have a newborn baby and me and my wife want to settle. I'm tired of going on loan.
I was always progressing and pushing my career forward.
But I believe I should have the chance to show how good I am at Arsenal.
Bernd Leno's injury has changed my career. Other great goalkeepers - such as Iker Casillas - have got their big opportunities when the first-choice keeper was injured.
I arrived back in Argentina and a week after I had the offer from Arsenal. They called my agent and my family and I thought it was all about signing a new contract for my club in Argentina because they wanted to offer me one at the time, but it was actually to sign for Arsenal.
Obviously I love Arsenal. But it's time for me to make it there or go somewhere else.
Sometimes when you make mistakes at big clubs you get punished. With Arsenal, people always seem to blame the defence for defeats. But I feel really safe behind them.
My target is to consolidate my place with Arsenal and to reach the Argentinian national team as number one.
When you work hard, you are not going to be happy the whole time, you are going to have frustration, bad times in life.
I have been fighting 10 years to win trophies, not just to reach a final.
When I went to Reading last season. I said to myself, 'This is my last loan.' My body was always tired at the end of the season from travelling and not knowing what I was going to be doing next, so I made that challenge to myself that it was my last loan and I had to do well.
I remember for my Champions League debut against Anderlecht, my dad flew 27 hours to reach that game and he was crying all 95 minutes!
A second-choice goalkeeper can sometimes say: 'Oh, it's a lack of games, it's different when you train compared to when you play.' But there is no excuse if you do everything right.
I remember the day me and my brother ate and my mum and dad did not. I know what they did for me to reach the top.
Thank you Arsenal. For me, I could not be happier to leave through the front door with the Arsenal fanbase supporting me and the club supporting me.