Happy hour in house of Martins
WHILE the tearful embrace between debutant West Ham goalkeeper David Martin and his father Alvin went viral from Stamford Bridge last weekend, mum was watching on television.
In the tight-knit Martin household, Maggie isn’t the most ardent viewer of live football.
She also chose to follow her son’s second Premier League game, at Wolves, on the box but she may be persuaded to go to the London derby against Arsenal on Monday as it’s closer to home.
Her attendance has been a good-luck charm to David in the past.
Walking out for the first time at the London Stadium will be another incredible moment for 33-year-old David following his
‘surreal’ rise from No3 keeper to the man Manuel Pellegrini needs to help save his job. Though his dad was a West Ham icon and played for England at the 1986 World Cup, Dave certainly hasn’t had an easy route to stardom.
As an apprentice at the old Wimbledon FC, he was an unwitting casualty of the club’s sudden move to Milton Keynes, forced to unexpectedly up sticks and live away from home for the first time.
Liverpool signed him but manager Rafa Benitez used him as centre-half in training to mark Fernando Torres or Peter Crouch rather than give him a opportunity in goal.
He went on loan to Leicester and helped them win League One, the start of their rise to become champions, and eventually re-signed for MK Dons.
His big chance of FA Cup glory at Millwall last season ended with a mistake that gave Brighton a late equaliser in their quarter-final at The Den.
Last summer, he turned down a contract offer from Millwall, to join the boyhood heroes he remembered his dad playing for. It was emotional but realistically his first-team career looked over, until a hip injury to No1 Lukasz Fabianski and a series of errors by his deputy Roberto thrust David into the spotlight.
A victorious clean sheet at Chelsea on his Premier League debut and those tears of joy that have become one of the images of the season.
Next up is Arsenal, a team with as many problems as West Ham, who have lost four of their last five matches. ‘It was a bit surreal after the Chelsea game,’ he said.
‘My feet probably didn’t touch the ground until Tuesday. It was unbelievable to share that moment with my dad.
‘It was very emotional and when the next batch of games are done, I can try and enjoy it as long as possible.’
Having the home support behind him on Monday will count for a lot for Martin.
He used to be one of those supporters albeit one with good connections.
‘Dad would take me to the training ground,’ David added. ‘I was tied up with a skipping rope by Julian Dicks. It was all an initiation into football and I really enjoyed it, kicking the ball against a wall for hours with Tony Gale’s son
Anthony and Clive Allen’s son Olly.’
Of Alvin’s two sons, he thought Joe was the more naturally gifted, David the more intense and determined.
Joe, 31, a left back, started at Tottenham without playing a first-team game but has made a career in the lower leagues and is now at Northampton Town.
Dave knows Fabianski will go straight back into the team once he is ready at the end of the month but, in the meantime, there is serious work to do with West Ham in freefall.
Record signing Sebastien Haller hasn’t scored since October 5 while skipper Mark Noble was taken off in Wednesday’s 2-0 defeat at Wolves. At least
Pellegrini should have Michail Antonio and Issa Diop available tomorrow after injury and suspension.