Aston Villa star Emiliano Martínez was “already a beast” as a youngster in Argentina’s youth set up and dying to play before he became the world star he is today.
That’s according to former Argentina youth coach Esteban Pogany, who has been speaking about the Aston Villa star to TNT Sports.
Martínez is now a household name after establishing himself as the best goalkeeper in the world over the last few years.
It’s been nothing but an upward trajectory for him after joining Aston Villa in 2020, establishing himself as their number one and Argentina’s not long afterwards.
His success has all come on the international stage as he’s played a key part in the Albiceleste winning the World Cup in 2022 as well as two COPA America titles in 2021 and 2024.
He’s also won the Yashin Trophy for two years running in 2023 and 2024 and been named The Best FIFA Men’s Goalkeeper in 2022 and 2024.
The success has all come late after he struggled to make the grade at Arsenal, spending years on various unsuccessful loan spells but Pogany insists they all saw something special in the Aston Villa star early on.
“Dibu in the youth team? Physically, he was already a beast and technically gifted. He was 17 years old and had almost the same body as now,” he said.
“He had strong legs, was fast, and had a good kicking ability. The only thing he needed to fine-tune was his mental balance, which he achieved over time and took him to where he is today.
“I worked a lot with him, and I already saw incredible qualities in him. He was the youngest and was dying to play.”
