Reading goalkeeping coach Jorge Baptista has lamented that Arsenal goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez could have been at a different level had he been playing regular football over the years.

The Argentine goalkeeper joined Arsenal as a teenager in 2010, but has featured just 14 times during his time at the club.  

 



He is the designated number 2 to Bernd Leno this season and is tipped to start against Eintracht Frankfurt in the Europa League tonight in Germany.

Martinez spent the second half of last season at Reading becoming a regular at the Championship team and left a good impression on the Royals and their coaching staff.
 


Baptiste admits that he loved working with the Arsenal goalkeeper and believes he was easy to get along with as the Argentine is a thorough professional.



“I loved working with Emi”, Baptista told The Athletic.

“He has a lot of qualities. When you find someone who is a good professional and a good guy, it’s easy.”
 

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However, the Reading goalkeeping coach admits Martinez’s journey at Arsenal has not been easy because of the lack of game time.

He feels the goalkeeper could have been a vastly different player had he been playing regular football.

“It’s difficult when you don’t play.

“He hasn’t played a lot of games for Arsenal but he improved a lot in his time with us.

“Imagine if he’d played more games in the last few years, what level could he be right now?”