Emi Martinez Embraces Chelsea's No.26 Shirt with Pride
Emi Martinez has walked into Chelsea with a statement on his back.
The club have confirmed the Argentina international will wear the No.26 shirt, a number that in west London still belongs, in many minds, to one man: John Terry. The former captain wore it for the entirety of his glittering career at Stamford Bridge, lifting trophy after trophy with that 26 stamped across his shoulders.
Since Terry’s farewell in 2017, the shirt has barely seen the pitch. Kalidou Koulibaly tried it on. Levi Colwill did too. Both were brief cameos in a jersey that has carried a certain untouchable aura.
Martinez has no intention of treating it like any other number.
Stepping into Terry’s shadow
At most clubs, squad numbers are admin. At Chelsea, 26 is a statement. Martinez knows exactly what he’s walking into and, crucially, who he’s following.
He didn’t just pick it off a list. He picked up his phone.
The goalkeeper worked with Terry during the defender’s coaching spell at Aston Villa, and before committing to the number he made sure the club legend was on board. Not to seek permission in a formal sense, but to ensure the gesture landed as a tribute, not a trespass.
"I remember using the 26 on loan a few times with previous clubs, and of course I knew John Terry famously had the 26 here," Martinez said. "John was someone I spoke to before I joined, and he said he was over the moon to have me here. From our time together at Aston Villa, he knows how hard I work and what I can bring to Chelsea. The morning I signed, I texted him and said, 'I'm wearing your shirt, and I'm going to do it with pride'."
That last line is the point. Martinez isn’t just borrowing a number; he’s embracing a responsibility. In a dressing room still searching for clear leaders, the choice reads like an early declaration of intent.
A transfer that raced through
The deal itself arrived at speed.
For weeks, Chelsea had projected calm around their goalkeeping options. Then came a wobble in recent performances and, suddenly, a window opened. The club moved decisively, striking a £7.5 million agreement to bring in the Aston Villa goalkeeper, adding a World Cup winner to the competition for the gloves.
"It’s incredible," Martinez said in his first interview as a Chelsea player. "It’s been an amazing few days. Obviously, it happened really quickly, but I'm delighted to be at this football club. I’ve been in England for nearly 17 years and to play for Chelsea is a dream for me."
Seventeen years in the country, countless battles up and down the leagues, and now a shot at one of English football’s heavyweight roles. For Martinez, this isn’t a step into the unknown. It’s the peak of a long, familiar climb.
Immediate impact in a seven-goal thriller
There was no gentle easing-in period. Chelsea threw him straight into the starting XI for a chaotic 4-3 win over Brighton.
Three goals flew past him, but that doesn’t tell the whole story. In a game that swung wildly, Martinez delivered several big saves at key moments, interventions that kept Chelsea’s advantage intact and helped lock down the three points. It was a debut that mixed vulnerability with authority, the kind of performance that reminds everyone how thin the margins are in the Premier League.
Robert Sanchez still owns the No.1 shirt and, on paper, the starting role. Now he has a World Cup-winning challenger behind him, wearing Terry’s number and talking like a man who plans to lead, not just compete.
The shirt carries history. The position carries pressure. Martinez has made his choice. How far can he take it?
