Emiliano Martinez Steps into John Terry’s Legacy at Chelsea
Chelsea’s new goalkeeper has walked straight into a legacy.
Emiliano Martinez will wear the No.26 shirt at Stamford Bridge, a number stitched into Chelsea’s modern history by John Terry and barely touched since the former captain’s farewell in 2017. It is not a casual choice. At this club, 26 is a statement.
Stepping into Terry’s shadow
Terry wore 26 for every step of his trophy-laden rise from academy prospect to Champions League-winning captain. Since he left, the shirt has been treated almost like a relic. Only Kalidou Koulibaly and Levi Colwill have briefly taken it on, and neither had the time or the stage to make it truly theirs.
Martinez knows exactly what he is walking into. He has worn 26 on loan spells before, but this is different. This is the number that belongs, in the minds of many Chelsea supporters, to one man.
So he went straight to the source.
The Argentine revealed that he contacted Terry before committing to the shirt, leaning on the relationship they built during the defender’s coaching stint at Aston Villa. Respect first, symbolism second.
"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 tells its own story. This is not a keeper ducking the pressure of a famous jersey. He is chasing it.
A transfer that moved at top speed
The deal itself arrived with the suddenness of a counter-attack.
For weeks, the noise from Chelsea suggested contentment with their goalkeeping options. Robert Sanchez had the No.1 shirt, and there was little hint of a major shake-up. Then came concerns over recent performances, internal doubts grew, and the club moved decisively.
Chelsea struck a £7.5 million agreement to bring in the Argentina international, a fee that looks modest in a market where reliable goalkeepers rarely come cheap. The move unfolded at speed, surprising plenty outside the club, but Martinez embraced the whirlwind.
"It’s incredible," he 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. A long apprenticeship across English football, now funnelled into one of the biggest stages in the Premier League. For Martinez, this is not just another transfer. It is a culmination.
Straight into the fire
There was no gentle bedding-in period.
Martinez went straight into the starting XI for a wild 4-3 win over Brighton, a game that felt more like a stress test than a debut. He conceded three, but that number barely tells the story. When Chelsea wobbled, he produced big saves that kept the lead intact and the points in West London.
The message was clear: he is not here to sit quietly behind Sanchez.
On paper, the Spaniard remains the club’s No.1, at least in terms of squad numbers. On the pitch, that status now faces a serious challenge. Martinez brings not just experience and shot-stopping, but presence. The kind of presence that fits a shirt once worn by a captain who dominated every inch of his penalty area.
Chelsea have not just signed another goalkeeper. They have handed the No.26 to a World Cup-winning Argentine who has already told John Terry he will wear it with pride.
The question now is simple: how long before that famous number belongs to a new leader at Stamford Bridge?
