Aston Villa are blessed to have Emi Martinez as their goalkeeper but Unai Emery could already have the heir to the Argentine’s throne waiting in his academy.
Emi Martinez has proven that he is the best goalkeeper on the planet and the statistics reinforce that claim.
Martinez has excelled on the international stage for Argentina, winning the 2022 World Cup and the 2024 Copa America while collecting the Lev Yashin trophy in 2023.
That award cemented the 32-year-old as the world’s best, and he used that as inspiration to help Aston Villa qualify for the Champions League in 2023/24.
Martinez has since produced some world-class performances, particularly in the incredible 1-0 win over Bayern Munich.
However, there will come a time when the coveted Argentine will need replacing and luckily, Unai Emery could already have the heir to his throne waiting in the academy – 20-year-old Oliwier Zych.
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Who is Oliwier Zych?
Aston Villa welcomed Zych to the club from Polish outfit Lubin in 2020 and the youngster was integrated into the under-18 squad.
The talented goalkeeper made 20 appearances for the under-18s before being moved up to the under-21s, where he’s played 27 times.
Last season, Zych returned to his homeland to join Puszcza Niepolomice on a season-long loan and during his experience of senior football, the Poland under-21 international was hugely impressive in the first-tier.
Featuring 26 times across the season as his side finished 12th in the table, the young gloveman has since returned to Villa and on Tuesday night, produced an unbelievable performance against Bolton Wanderers.
Villa’s under-21’s held Bolton to a 1-1 draw in the EFL Trophy after Zych made a string of stunning saves, meaning the game went to a penalty shootout.
The young Villans would go on to win on penalties and Zych was the star of the show as he saved two spot kicks, resulting in praise from Wanderers boss Ian Evatt.
Evatt dubbed the goalkeepers’ performance as ‘absolutely magnificent’, as per the Bolton website, and that was a fair assessment of his nights’ work.
Oliwier Zych could be the heir to Emi Martinez
Villa fans will hope that Emi Martinez stays for years to come, especially after committing his long-term future to the club.
But for Emery, it’s refreshing to see such a promising young goalkeeper coming through the ranks, and Zych will one day dream of taking his number one jersey.
The Polish shot-stopper was incredible out on loan last time in the Ekstraklasa and this should serve as a strong indication of the level he’s capable of reaching.
Despite being so young, Zych held his own against some of the division’s best sides who regularly compete in Europe, namely Legia Warsaw, who beat Villa in last season’s Europa Conference League.
It is worth remembering that Martinez didn’t showcase his true potential till he arrived at Villa Park as a 28-year-old in 2020, meaning Zych has a very long time before he develops into the finished article, although the early signs are promising.
