Former Arsenal goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez says he loves everything about the London club but admits he never felt trusted by Mikel Arteta.
Martinez impressed towards the end of last campaign when he deputised for the injured Bernd Leno but the gunners took the decision to sell him to Aston Villa for £17 million last summer.
The Argentine shot-stopper has continued his good form at Aston Villa and has played a crucial role in the club’s strong Premier League season so far.
And Martinez has now revealed that he felt the North London side did not deserve him because of how they treated him.
‘I love everything about Arsenal,’ Martinez told Sky Sports. ‘I still love them and I’m still watching the games, but I just felt like they didn’t trust me like they should have.
‘That’s the reality because they kept buying goalkeepers to go in front of me and I was the goalkeeper from the academy.
‘When I was on a high, I still felt like they didn’t deserve me because of the way they were treating me. They couldn’t guarantee me the games I needed so I thought that if they couldn’t guarantee me the games I needed, then I’m moving on.
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‘They didn’t say to me that I wasn’t going to play, they just didn’t guarantee me the games that I wanted to play.
‘So, after 10 years, I decided to leave, and it was very difficult. My family didn’t understand why I was leaving when I was at such a good level at Arsenal, but it was my decision to leave and I’m really proud I did it.
‘It was a gamble, but I always believe that if you stay in the comfort zone, you will never reach anything in life. I decided to take the step up.’
