Aston Villa star Emiliano Martinez has revealed that it was his decision to leave Arsenal this summer and declared that he “wanted to change” after proving himself in the Premier League and winning the FA Cup.
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The 28-year-old endures a frustrating eight-year period with the Gunners, where he was sent off six times to gain match experience. His time in north London, however, brought an end to a fairy tale, as he played in the last nine league matches of the season and helped them win the FA Cup and Community Shield.
Martinez chose to move to Aston Villa, where he has been a star Matthew Ashton – AMA / Getty Images
That increase from failure to success convinced Martinez to leave Arsenal in the summer and he has emphasized that he himself made the decision, without any influence from the club.
“At no point did they tell me I was not going to play or that I was. It was not a losing battle, because I showed my level, but it was my decision to go through the front door, Martinez told ESPN Argentina.
“No one said I should stay or go. Nobody told me I was going to be number one or two. It was purely my decision. I thank Mikel for letting me go and supporting me in my decision.
“I wanted to change. I think I succeeded, because I went with two titles under my arm and played every game in one of the best clubs in the world.
A winner with Gunners | Marc Atkins / Getty Images
“I did not leave as a failure, I left super happy, but in the end you want to change your scene after ten years at the club, from so many fights. I showed what I had to do and that they could have given me the opportunity a little earlier. But I went very happy. ”
The decision to let Martinez leave surprised some Gooners, and his fantastic performances for Villa this season will not have come as a shock to anyone who witnessed his impressive form last year.
The Argentine striker was crucial to the side that won the FA Cup and he stated that his outburst of emotion at the final whistle was not through joy, but a relief from the suffering he had endured in north London.
“Yes, [I was crying] not because I won a final but because I overcame my frustrations at the professional level at Arsenal, he said. “There were many years of suffering and bad times because I did not have my chance.
Just look at how much the FA Cup win means for Arsenal goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez? #Facupfinal #bbcfacup pic.twitter.com/ZL0WtYjj5f
Today’s match (@BBCMOTD) August 1, 2020
“Not because I did not deserve it, but because they did not give it to me. In that moment, all the bad Sundays I have spent when I was not called to the club came to me, or I borrowed to places I did not want to go because I needed games.
“They never sent me on loan to get me out, but to improve me. That’s why they kept me at the club for so long because they saw something in me. When I won the cup, I took away the anger I had inside.
“I’m an emotional boy and everything I do I do for my family and that’s why those tears came in my eyes.”
