‘It’s my dream’… 22-year-old Barcelona defender claims he wants to retire at the club | OneFootball

It is always a difficult task for any young player to make a name for themselves at Barcelona. Despite being a club known for developing young talents, only the most exceptional youngsters make it to the first team. Moreover, even fewer go on to get regular opportunities at Barcelona moving forward.

Still, the few that manage to do so can expect a bright future up ahead for them. While it is certainly not an easy task to get to that point, it is surely worthwhile and there are plenty of rewards to get afterwards. Sometimes, those rewards can come as an indication of the club’s trust in the player’s long-term potential.

For 22-year-old Gerard Martin, that has surely been the case so far. Previously a key defensive player for Barcelona Atletic, he has become one of the more regular back-up players in Hansi Flick’s squad during this ongoing season. In fact, he has received a lot of good opportunities across various competitions this season.

In a recent interview, as highlighted by Mundo Deportivo, the player spoke about his recent renewal and how he had no hesitation behind his decision to renew his contract until 2028:

“If I didn’t hesitate when the opportunity to sign for Barça Atlètic came up in the summer of 2023, imagine how little I hesitated to renew. If three years ago someone told me I’d be where I am now, I wouldn’t have believed it, but well, there’s a lot of invisible work behind it. But that’s the case for all footballers; sometimes the reward comes.”

Furthermore, he stated his desire to potentially end his career at Barcelona as well one day:

“For me, I hope to stay here as long as possible, and if I could, I’d retire here. It’s my dream; I’ve wanted to be a footballer since I was little. I’ve always dreamed of playing for Barça.”

As for his Barcelona idols and heroes, he made sure to point out former left-back Jordi Alba as one of his great inspirations and heroes from among the previous teams at the club:

“Jordi Alba is my idol. I always looked up to him because he played the same position as me. He formed a great duo with Messi with those backward passes. I don’t know if matching his career is impossible, but what I do know is that it’s very difficult.”

However, Martin made sure to speak about his former Barca Atletic coach Rafa Marquez as well. By giving credit to the coach for the opportunities that allowed him to reach the first team, the player wanted to make sure every important figure in his career so far got the recognition they deserved:

“I didn’t expect to have such an important role last year. I played every game except one due to suspension. It wasn’t easy at first because I had to adapt to Barça’s style. Rafa Márquez was very important; if I’m here, it’s thanks to him, and he finished forming me and made me a footballer.”

Now, moving forward, he has a rather difficult task of competing with Alejandro Balde. The other Spaniard has proven himself to be one of the most lethal and impactful full-backs in La Liga this season, and dethroning him will hardly be an easy task. However, there is always room to adjust both given the need to provide rest and also needing to make rotations from time to time.