"It's been up and down in my Arsenal career, to be honest," Emiliano Martinez told Sky Sports.
"There was something I had inside me that said, 'Why am I not getting my chance in the club that I love?' But God always puts you in the right place at the right time. I've worked really hard over the years and been really patient and now I'm getting the rewards.
"I always believed I could do it here and the club always believed in me as well.
"That's one of the reasons I stayed here for so long. They always believed I could become the No 1. That motivation kept me going and it's not like I haven't been progressing over the years. I was always progressing and pushing my career forward."
Martinez joined Arsenal youth team back in 2010 from Independiente for a reported fee of £1.35m.
In 2012 the keeper was promoted to the senior squad but had to sit on the bench behind more experienced teammates.
The keeper had to get minutes elsewhere and was loaned out to Oxford, Sheffield Wednesday, Rotherham, Wolverhampton, Getafe, and Reading through years with Arsenal before returning to north London to stake a claim for a place in the team.
"When I went to Reading last season," he adds, "I said to myself, 'This is my last loan.'
"My body was always tired at the end of the season from travelling and not knowing what I was going to be doing next, so I made that challenge to myself that it was my last loan and I had to do well. I prepared myself mentally more than ever."
Martinez should get a lot of credit for his performances. After the Brighton loss when the Argentine replaced Bernd Leno, who was stretchered off the pitch, the keeper has let in just 1 goal in 4 fixtures.
The 29-year-old has exceeded everyone's expectations and he is now aiming to get a regular spot under Mikel Arteta. The boss urges the stopper to deliver consistently over a long run to start thinking of raising his status.
