- Martinez hopeful of winning Champions League
- Wants to lift silverware before leaving the club
- Aston Villa currently fifth in Premier League
WHAT HAPPENED? After fulfilling his dream of winning the World Cup with Lionel Messi's Argentina last year in Qatar, the 31-year-old goalkeeper has now set his sights on the Champions League as he claimed he wants to win the coveted trophy with his current club, Villa.
WHAT THEY SAID: Speaking to reporters, Martinez said on Wednesday: "If you look at my first interviews at the club it has always been about winning the Champions League and winning a trophy. I believe since day one that I will leave this club one day with silverware or winning Champions League. It’s a club which wants to be in Champions League and win a trophy. The main conversation with (manager) Unai [Emery] was how do we get there?"
He added: "There are plans to extend Villa Park as well. Like I said when I joined the club, I’m not here to waste time. Since I joined we’ve been moving forward. That is the main reason I want to put Aston Villa in a Champions League place and try to win silverware, that is for sure."
THE BIGGER PICTURE: The Villans experienced a change in fortune after Emery took charge of the club midway through last season. The Spanish manager guided the team to a seventh-place finish in the Premier League and in the ongoing campaign, they are currently fifth with six wins from their first nine matches.
IN TWO PHOTOS:
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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT? Martinez will be next seen in action for his club in the Europa Conference League on Thursday when they take on AZ Alkmaar.