‘Tremendous’…Tony Cascarino says £17m Aston Villa player has been the best in England this season

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Aston Villa have had a fine season this year and TalkSPORT’s Tony Cascarino is no doubt about one of their players being the best around.

Villa have flown under Unai Emery and secured Champions League football ahead of the likes of Tottenham and Chelsea.

Emery’s management style has been perfect for the Villans and he’s had a number of his players step up to the mark and produce.

• READ MORE: Michail Antonio amazed by one Aston Villa man this season

Of course, the likes of Ollie Watkins and Moussa Diaby have won plenty of plaudits.

But it is further back on the field where Cascarino feels Villa have the very best in the Premier league in the form of goalkeeper, Emi Martinez.

Emi Martinez ‘quite clearly’ the top goalkeeper this season in England

Speaking on TalkSPORT this morning and naming his team of the season, Cascarino said he was in no doubt over his choice in the sticks being Martinez.

“Quite clearly for me the comfortable winner was Martinez because his performances this year in so many Villa games has produced big saves, and I don’t believe that he has got the best back-four in front of him,” Cascarino said.

“And the way that Villa play, the high-line, he has had to produce a number of saves that enabled Villa to get a huge number of points.

“Big mistake he made in one game, and that’s about the only one I could think of, in the Liverpool game. In the 3-3 game, where he dropped the ball, but largely I think he has been tremendous for Villa this year.”

Martinez’s rise has been remarkable

• READ MORE: What Emi Martinez’s Dad said about moving away from Villa Park

To think it wasn’t so long ago that Emi Martinez was deemed not good enough for Arsenal and spent a number of loan spells with clubs who have been in League One recently, is quite the story.

Martinez has since developed into Villa and Argentina’s number one stopper. He has a World Cup winner’s medal to his name and now, looks like being lauded for his Premier League performances.

Put simply, Villa would not be where they are this season without Martinez in the sticks.

Yes, they’ve concede more than anyone else in the top four. But like all good goalkeepers, Martinez has made huge saves in big moments to help Villa along the way.

The comments here, then, are more than justified.