2022 World Cup golden glove winner Emiliano Martinez stopped off at Sheffield Wednesday and Rotherham United on his way to the top

In the case of Argentina’s Emiliano Martinez, a couple of South Yorkshire clubs can claimed they played a part – albeit a small part – in developing a World Cup winner.

All eyes were on Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe in Doha on Sunday, but arguably the most significant contribution to Argentina's win came from the goalkeeper.

His brilliant save from Randal Kolo Muani in stoppage time of extra-time took the game to a penalty shoot-out and as he showed against the Netherlands in the quarter-final, that is when the 30-year-old comes into his own.

Martinez only saved one spot kick – he got a glove to Mbappe's as he had in regulation play without keeping it out – but as well as denying Kingsley Coman, his antics may well have unsettled Aurelien Tchouameni. With his team-mates scoring all four of theirs, that took the World Cup back to Argentina for the first time since 1986.

At full-time, Martinez was named goalkeeper of the tournament.

As recently as two years ago, Martinez was almost a professional back-up goalkeeper, loaned from club to club as he waited for his chance to impress at Arsenal. When it finally came, during the Covid-19 lockdown, the Gunners did not seem to recognise what they had, and sold him to Aston Villa for £20m, finally a first-choice aged 28.

Sheffield Wednesday and Rotherham United took Martinez on emergency loans either side of spells at Oxford United, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Getafe and Reading.

Future Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder, then in charge of Oxford, gave Martinez his professional debut in May 2012, parachuted in 24 hours beforehand to play the final game of the season then head back to north London.

Martinez played twice in the League Cup the following season. In his second game, at future club Reading, he managed to concede five and still come out a winner.

Martinez impressed enough in his 28-day stint at Hillsborough to be kept on for the rest of the 2013-14 season.

His 15 games were not much to write home about, producing two clean sheets and six wins as the Owls were sandwiched between Leeds United and Huddersfield Town in 16th.

Millers manager Steve Evans was suitably wowed when Martinez joined them the following season, debuting against the Owls (his Wednesday debut was also a Yorkshire derby, against Huddersfield).

Across eight matches, Martinez did his bit to keep the Millers in the Championship with a game to spare – prompting Evans' notorious shorts-and-sombrero get-up for the final weekend.

“We’re going to be watching Emi on Match of the Day in six to eight months," said Evans. "It wouldn’t surprise me if we’re not seeing him in the Premier League, we’ll be seeing him against Barcelona and Real Madrid. That’s how well he’s regarded.”

As it turned out, the route to the top was a lot less direct, but the final destination even more glamorous.