If we said there’s a major international final coming up and it has an ex-Molineux figure in it, we assume many of our readers would take another hasty look through the England and Spain squads to see who we could possibly have in mind. The reference is actually a little more subtle but it might be inspirational as the big night in Berlin approaches, as Charles Bamforth explains.

“It is very important to have good competition among your goalkeepers.” So said Kenny Jackett in August, 2015.

He had just secured the loan signing of Emiliano Martinez, the keeper who is generally considered to be the best on the planet right now and who will be guarding the goal for Argentina in the Copa America final in Florida on Sunday.

“We are delighted to have brought Emi to the club for the season,” the Wolves manager said. “I have been aware of him in and around the Arsenal set-up for a few years and he has also had experience of the Championship from loan spells with Sheffield Wednesday and Rotherham.”

Young Emiliano already knew a lot about competition and would not be happy for too long trying to fend off other keepers.

He was only 16 when he first had trials with Arsenal but had to wait a year or more before the Gunners were able to prise him away from Indepeniente in July, 2010.

A first-team debut did not come until 2012 in a 6-1 League Cup win over Coventry. He featured again in the next round but Arsenal 7 Reading 5 did not add up to one of his better nights.

It was in November, 2014 that he finally made his Premier League bow, as a second-half substitute for Wojciech Szczęsny against Manchester United.

All told, in nine seasons as a Gunner, he made only 38 senior appearances but his willingness to head out on loan gave him a diversity of experience at a time when he sometimes found himself no higher than third or fourth in the pecking order in North London.

Thus, he went to Oxford (1 game), Wednesday (15), Rotherham (8), Wolves, Getafe (7) and Reading (18). Apart from League Two Oxford and that La Liga sojourn, every other loan was in the Championship. And so to Molineux…..

He made his debut in the Capital One Cup tie at home to Newport very soon after signing. Goals by Nuoha Dicko and Benik Afobe secured a 2-1 win for this team: Emiliano MARTINEZ, Dominic IORFA, Scott GOLBOURNE, Ethan EBANKS-LANDELL, Kortney HAUSE, Matt DOHERTY (Rajiv van la PARRA 67), Jack PRICE, Conor COADY, Sheyi OJO, Benik AFOBE (Adam LE FONDRE 67), Nouha DICKO. Subs Carl IKEME, Richard STEARMAN, James HENRY, Kevin McDONALD, Bright ENOBAKHARE.

Conceding a goal after only five minutes was a dismal start for Emi but he kept his place and, other than the Capital One Cup defeat at Middlesbrough, for which Ikeme was given the jersey, the loan man played in every game until just after Bonfire Night.

In the goalless home draw with Burnley on November 7, he was injured and replaced after 57 minutes. Ikeme went on in his place and was soon firmly back in position as senior keeper, with Jon Flatt (who would go on to become a keeper coach in the Wolves Academy) and Aaron McCarey sharing bench duties.

That was until Martinez returned to the substitute role in mid-February for the visit of Preston. And that remained the situation for the rest of the term, after which it was back to Arsenal for the man known as ‘Dibu’.

In his moving Why Not Me? autobiography, Ikeme spoke eloquently about the competition Martinez brought to Molineux.

“I had struggled a bit during pre-season and didn’t play too much in the friendlies,” he wrote. “At Blackburn, on the first day, I made a hash of their goal. I went into training the day after to be told that I was being dropped.

“Now Emi is a good goalkeeper and a really good guy as well. But he was fairly young and inexperienced…”

In short, Ikeme was not happy. But as we have seen, he bounced back. Speaking further of Martinez, he wrote: “I have to say he was – and still is – a top keeper. I was definitely watching him in training and thinking: You are good, man! You’re probably better than me but just need more experience.”

The tide finally turned for Emi Martinez in September, 2020. In a deal valued at £20m, he signed for Aston Villa a few months after starring in Arsenal’s FA Cup final win over Chelsea.

At Villa Park, he has become undisputed first choice and finally got his first full cap for Argentina on June 3, 2021. In both Copa America 2021 and the World Cup of 2022, he was voted the tournament best keeper. He was also named Best FIFA Goalkeeper in 2022 and received the Yashin Trophy in 2023.

At 6ft 5in, what a formidable obstacle he is for those taking penalties. And what a character! I hope he looks back fondly on his time at Molineux.