Gerard Martin says he would “absolutely” sign a lifetime contract with Barcelona, while admitting he has been fortunate to avoid serious injuries since joining the club.
The full-back, who is approaching 100 first-team appearances, said he hopes to remain at Barcelona for many years and continue playing for as long as possible.
“I am very eager to play here for many years,” Martin told Sport. “I hope to reach another 100 appearances after that, playing for as long as I can.”
Asked whether he would accept a lifetime deal, he replied: “Absolutely. Although it needs to be earned through performance, I am 100% willing. Everything is going very well so far.”
Martin said Barcelona’s young players have helped create an excellent atmosphere in the dressing room, despite the presence of experienced senior players.
“Everyone is very young, so the locker room atmosphere is fantastic,” he said. “At the same time, there are experienced veterans on the team, and that mix of young and old is very beneficial.”
He also explained a video involving Adeyemi that had circulated online after a match at Sevilla. Martin had been telling the forward not to touch the match balls on the touchline during the half-time warm-up because they were reserved for the game.
“It doesn’t bother us at all,” Martin said of the attention surrounding such clips. “Many of the videos are actually quite funny.”
He described Adeyemi as genuine, humorous and committed, while saying Gordon appeared serious but was also funny and had performed at a consistently high level. Bisuma, whom he believed was born in 2008, was “very gifted” but still needed to gain experience and improve gradually. Hamza was described as shy, extremely hard-working, good-natured and full of potential.
Martin said Rodri’s arrival had made an immediate impact because the midfielder was used to possession-based football and had extensive experience of major competitions.
“He is a world-class player,” Martin said. “He performs brilliantly in crucial moments of a match.”
He recalled discovering the transfer through a phone alert in the dressing room. “Oh my God, he’s really coming!” he exclaimed, before saying the rest of the squad were equally shocked.
Martin also spoke about Szczesny’s support after the painful Champions League semi-final against Inter Milan. The goalkeeper, wearing a bathrobe, found him upset and reminded him how far he had come in the previous year and a half.
“He told me that in a long career, you will lose many games, but the most important thing is the ultimate goal and the trophy,” Martin said.
He believes the match was probably the best performance of his career, particularly because he provided two assists in a Champions League semi-final.
Since joining Barcelona, Martin has avoided injury apart from breaking a bone in his hand while with the national team during the summer. He said he takes care of his body and hopes his luck continues.
After having a month and a half off, he paid for extra training and sought medical guidance before pre-season so he would not fall behind when team preparations began.
Martin has worked with the same agent for six or seven years, with his brother now involved as well. He said their support was crucial and that he had no reason to change representatives after they had accompanied him from the beginning of his career.
Finally, Martin said outside opinions about Barcelona’s Champions League prospects would not affect the squad.
“Our goal is always to win the Champions League,” he said. “Being labelled favourites won’t bring extra pressure, and not being favoured won’t lighten our burden. We will focus on our own path and do our utmost to win the trophy.”
