Jacob Ramsey reacts to ‘hard’ message from Aston Villa teammate Emi Martinez
Emi Martinez is preparing for two tough assignments and has been backed by his Aston Villa teammate.
The Argentina goalkeeper is away with his national side and preparing to take on a pair of key rivals in World Cup qualifying.
Jacob Ramsey seemed destined for a role in the England senior set-up after dominating for the U21’s in prior years, but the left-winger has been left out of Thomas Tuchel’s squad, having struggled to keep his role since the arrival of Marcus Rashford at Villa Park.
The former England U21 international has struggled with injury set-backs in recent years, and saw a move to Tottenham fall through in the summer.
Whilst Ramsey will remain at home, training in preparation for Villa’s busy end to the season, his teammate, Martinez, is preparing for some crucial matches for his international side.
Emi Martinez looks to reproduce World Cup-winning form
With Argentina set for two crucial games against rivals Uruguay (21 March), and Brazil (26 March), they will be hoping to see Martinez regain his form that helped them win the 2022 World Cup.
During that tournament, the former Arsenal man was a beacon of inspiration, and made a now-famous save to deny Randal Kolo Muani in the final against France.
| 2024/25 Premier League stats | Martinez |
| Appearances | 28 |
| Clean sheets | 3 |
| Goals conceded | 41 |
| Penalties faced (saved) | 2 (1) |
| Errors leading to goal | 1 |
With Argentina now just one win away from guaranteeing their place in the 2026 World Cup, Martinez will once again be relied upon.
The Villa shot-stopper posted a message on Instagram, ahead of his games for his country, captioned: “Dándole duro”. [“Hitting it hard”.]
The post was liked by Ramsey, putting national allegiances to one side, showing support for his club teammate.
Aston Villa eye finance boost ahead of Champions League and FA Cup run-ins
Football Insider Verdict
Having now paid off Rashford and Marco Asensio’s loans, thanks to their win against Club Brugge, Villa are now looking ahead to finishing off their season with a piece of silverware.
The Midlands side are quarter-finalists in both the FA Cup, and Champions League, and both present the opportunity to win their first trophy since their League Cup success in 1996.
Should they do so, the financial benefits will be massive, and could give them the resources to negotiate a permanent deal for Asensio, or Rashford.
Both players have had a magnificent impact since joining the club on-loan in January, but both also come with hefty wages, and expectations of playing in Europe’s premier competition.
Asensio is likely to be particularly keen on joining the Villains permanently, have blossomed in the number 10 role behind Ollie Watkins, whilst also enjoying a good relationship with Unai Emery, but Villa will likely need to qualify for the Champions League to convince the former Real Madrid man to extend his stay.