Aston Villa's Emi Martinez: Dad being there to see my World Cup bow will be amazing

“I’m looking forward to seeing my dad’s face when the anthem is about to play,” explains the Villa and Argentina goalkeeper. “My family come from a poor background and making the World Cup is a dream come true.

“The tears might be there, maybe not. I’m so proud to be Argentinian. It will be such a proud day for me and my family.”

Martinez knows there is a job to do once the whistle blows and the battle to keep emotions in check is why he expects next Tuesday’s match against Saudi Arabia at the Lusail Stadium to be ‘the toughest’ of his career.

For the keeper it marks the end of a long journey which began 30 years ago in his hometown of Mar del Plata, where as a youngster he initially dreamed of being a centre-forward before being converted to keeper by a coach at his local club.

It is one he is thankful to still be able to share with dad Alberto, who will travel to Qatar little more than a year after suffering a heart attack which nearly killed him. Martinez dashed back to Argentina in the week between matches against Wolves and Arsenal last October to be at his bedside.

“I nearly lost him,” he says. “It was a hard year. I had to travel through the season to go and see him. It was really difficult. Having him there in Qatar is going to be really amazing.”

Martinez has spoken before about the importance of his family and how the struggles of his early years helped shape his personality. His first thought, upon joining Arsenal from Independiente in 2010, was how the £5,000 would help Alberto pay the bills. That provides some perspective on just what next week will mean.

For Martinez and many other players heading to Qatar, there is also a sense of relief after completing an intense few weeks in the domestic season, when the threat of injury hung over their World Cup ambitions.

Argentina requested their players be allowed to sit out the final round of fixtures but Martinez, who has been nursing a minor groin complaint, insists missing Sunday’s 2-1 win at Brighton was never a serious option.

“People were asking me not to play, which is normal. Got the World Cup next weekend,” he says. “But in my mind, I’m thinking: ‘What is best for my career?’

“I love this club, man. I’m all in. I showed on Sunday I am all in.”

Now his full focus is on Argentina and for all that playing at a World Cup represents a fine achievement, for Martinez it is nowhere near enough.

“When the first game starts, I will say I have made it,” he says. “But I am not satisfied with that. I’m going there to win.”

Argentina are among the bookies’ favourites to do just that and for an explanation as to why, you need only listen to Martinez’s answer when asked about their chances of lifting the trophy for the first time since 1986.

“We have got the best player in the world (Lionel Messi) so we always have a chance,” he says. “We’re also unbeaten in 35 matches so we go there with confidence, with two titles in the bag.”

Those titles are last year’s Copa America and June’s Finalissima, played at Wembley against reigning European champions Italy. The Copa victory was Argentina’s first major tournament success since 1993 and Martinez, who played a key role in ending the drought, admits his memories of watching the national team growing up were dominated by heartbreak.

His own rise to become his country’s No.1 has in many ways been remarkable. When the last World Cup began in 2018 he was well down the pecking order at Arsenal and had just completed a disappointing loan spell at Getafe. It is still less than 18 months since he made his senior international debut but now established as an important member of the team, he is determined to deliver.

Argentina’s group also includes Poland and a meeting with Villa team-mates Matty Cash and Jan Bednarek.

Martinez smiled: “They told me: ‘See you at the World Cup’ and I replied: ‘Be careful what you wish for!’ We are team-mates at Villa but when I go up against them, I will be going to war!”

He continued: “Argentina is a passionate national team. The people cannot wait. We have got a good feeling.

“We try to go step-by-step. We’ve got Saudi Arabia first and it will be a tough game. But we’re ready. We can play. We can fight away.

“Winning the Copa America after 28 years is the first time I have seen the country celebrate.

“I didn’t have good memories with the national team. I wasn’t born in 1986 and my memories were of Argentina getting to the semi-finals and final and losing. When I was younger I would cry when they got knocked out. But now we have got a team that is always going to fight.”