Fixtures
- Aston Villa Vs. West Ham United – Fri, Jan 10th 2025, 20:00
Emi Martínez has spoken of his pride to be part of Aston Villa’s journey when reflecting on the club’s 150th anniversary.
Arriving at Villa Park just over four years ago, the Argentinian World Cup-winning goalkeeper has been instrumental in our collective progress on the field, continuing to excel for both club and country.
Villa will add to its season-long 150th anniversary celebrations with a dedicated matchday on Friday as we host West Ham United in FA Cup action.
And the occasion brought about the opportunity for Martínez to reflect on his time at the club so far.
In an interview with VillaTV, he said: “It’s amazing. When I came here, we were not in the situation we are now.
“I feel proud to be part of this journey. The season before I arrived, we finished 17th, then we progressively (finished) 11th, 14th, 7th, 4th.
“You can see the progress of this club. The owners, the manager we’ve got, it’s a really good time to be a Villa fan.”
Villa Park eagerly anticipates what promises to be a memorable occasion on Friday, as a community comes together to celebrate and honour the club’s storied history.
Martínez collected his second The Best FIFA Football Goalkeeper Award shortly before the close of 2024, coming of the back of historic consecutive Yashin Trophies won earlier in the year.
And the World’s Number One discussed a special feeling when playing in B6, adding how this is reflected in home performances and results.
“It’s special,” Martínez added.
“I always say in the dressing room – at home, we are strong, we don’t lose many games. Lift the crowd in the first few minutes, because we know how important it is for us.
“The loudest I heard (at Villa Park) was in the last five minutes against Bayern Munich.
“I remember I was doing a free-kick outside the box, and the atmosphere was what I feel like in Argentina.
“It’s really good to see Villa Park on fire with the flames and the fireworks.
“It makes our stadium really special. Champions League nights are special.
“Whoever is playing, they know it’s going to be in a really nice atmosphere.”
More generally, Villa’s No.23 affirmed his desire to lift silverware at Aston Villa as one of his main ambitions at the club.
After the disappointment of a Carabao Cup second-round exit at home to Crystal Palace in October, he is looking to the FA Cup as another opportunity to help create memories for the Villa faithful.
Martínez said: “I want silverware for the club. I want to have a cup run. I was very frustrated when we got knocked out against Palace in the Carabao Cup.
“I think the fans deserve to be at Wembley, at least, at the end of the season. That’s something missing for this club for so many years.
“There was the Champions League, we did it after 42 years, but I’ve won cups so I know that feeling for fans and for myself, that’s something I really want for this club.”
You can watch Emi’s full interview on VillaTV below…
