GONER MARTINEZ CHOKED DEAN’S GOONERS

DEAN SMITH reveals he upset a bunch of his Arsenal pals with his summer grab for Emiliano Martinez.

The Aston Villa boss forked out £ 20million for the Argentinian keeper who seemed destined to be the Gunners’ No. 1.

The 28- year- old finished last season on a high with an FA Cup winners’ medal after an agonising 10- year wait to be considered the main man.

Martinez ( right) returns to the Emirates for the first time today since a defection which did not go down well with many Gooners.

Martinez had certainly done his time – going out on six loan spells in his quest to be the first name on the team sheet.

But with no guarantees of where he stood, he jumped j p at the chance of joining the Villa revolution. Smith said: “I have a few Arsenal mates who were a little bit surprised when we managed to get him.

“I did get some not particularly glowing text messages from them after we took him.

“There was a real enthusiasm about him when he first came into the club about what he wanted to do and how he wanted to do it.

“He’s a proud South American who wants to get to the top of the game. He did that last season by winning the FA Cup and Community Shield.”

Asked if Martinez had perhaps gone under the radar in north

London, Smith said: “Only Arsenal can an answer that, but we’re thankful we have him at the football club.

“He saw himself being the No. 1 at Arsenal. Maybe that wasn’t guaranteed to him.

“He had a lot of loans when he was there, which has helped him improve. mprove. I love his hunger and drive to o get better.

“We wanted someone who had played in the Premier League and who was up and ready to start – and he was happy with that project.

“He’s ambitious and feels playing regularly egularly at Aston Villa is what will make him move on to the level he wants to get to.”