"He needs to adapt quickly" - Unai Emery sends warning to returning Aston Villa GK and World Cup hero Emi Martinez

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery and goalkeeper Emi Martinez
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery and goalkeeper Emi Martinez

Unai Emery, the manager of English Premier League club Aston Villa, has issued a warning to goalkeeper Emi Martinez about returning to the team after a successful World Cup campaign with Argentina.

Martinez will be a part of the Aston Villa squad which will lock horns against Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League in an away game on Sunday (January 1, 2023).

In a pre-match interview, Emery stated that Martinez "needs to adapt quickly" to the club's environment again after his World Cup success and help the Premier League club in the long season ahead.

Emery said via The Metro:

''He is going to be available physically and his mentality we are going to check. Hopefully he is coming 100 per cent focused on Aston Villa. Of course he needs to adapt quickly again in our work.''
''When Emiliano is coming back (he has) to adapt again in a new way with us. Congratulations to him and now we are here thinking of our step ahead with Aston Villa.''

The Spanish manager added that Emi Martinez's mentality would play a vital role in their Premier League campaign ahead, and the team is proud of his achievements with his national team.

Sharing Martinez's influence on other players at the club, the Spanish manager further added:

''For us we are proud of him. Every Aston Villa supporter must be proud of him. We have in our team and our squad a winner of a World Cup, which he deserves. He is pushing his team-mates on the training ground every day.''
''When he is coming back we have to try to introduce him again into our everyday and to be positive to use his energy and trying to use his mentality to help us.''

Emery's comments suggest that he is excited to have Emi Martinez back at Villa after the World Cup and is confident in his ability to contribute to the team's success now.


Aston Villa fans are buzzing as Emi Martinez returns to the training ground ahead of the Tottenham Hotspur clash

Aston Villa fans are buzzing across social media as Argentina's World Cup-winning goalkeeper Emi Martinez returns to the training ground ahead of Villa's clash with Tottenham Hotspur.

Emi Martinez has been an animated figure since his crazy saves during the penalty shootout against France in the 2022 FIFA World Cup finals confirmed Argentina their third World Cup title. His return to Villa has excited the fans about their next game.

Aston Villa have struggled to find consistency as they sit in the 12th position. Still, Emi Martinez 's arrival has filled the fans with hopes that his winning mentality will influence other players to do better in the season ahead.

Here are some of the reactions from Villa supporters:

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Edited by Yash Singh