Joe Gauci can look to his new Aston Villa teammate Emiliano Martinez for inspiration as he kicks off his Premier League career with one eye on usurping Mat Ryan as Socceroos No.1.
Gauci, 23, is the only Socceroo in the Premier League, having signed with Villa from Adelaide United during the transfer window.
After Australia were knocked out of the Asian Cup, Gauci – who didn’t make an appearance at the tournament – flew out of Doha in the early hours of Saturday.
He will have all of two days back in Adelaide to pack up his life before heading to Birmingham.
Gauci’s eyes lit up, though, at the thought of working alongside Martinez.
The 31-year-old famously went from slugging it out as Arsenal’s reserve goalkeeper to Aston Villa’s star shot-stopper – and then golden glove winner in Argentina’s 2022 World Cup triumph.
‘It’s going to be really something special having someone of that experience (alongside me),’ Gauci said.
‘He’s had to wait for his opportunity to be a No.1, but he’s taken it with both hands and … his last 24 months have been phenomenal.
‘Everything that he’s done, he’s playing at a really high level with both club and country.
‘So to see how he works from the day to day and the output on the park and off the park, it’s going to be amazing.
‘It’s the Premier League at the end of the day, and these are world-class players. The things that they do from day to day are going to be amazing to see.
‘I’m really eager to listen and learn.’
Villa sit fourth in the Premier League and are still in the UEFA Conference League and FA Cup.
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