The Arsenal captain has found a “new meaning” to his life since wife Helene Spiling gave birth to their son Matheo in December 2024, and he admitted being around his family gives him essential time to relax.

He told FourFourTwo magazine: “To be a dad is unreal. It’s an amazing feeling and gaves a whole new meaning to life.

“Every day I just try to be the best dad I can be for him, to help him.

“He’s still very young – just walking and running around a bit now – but as he gets older I want to be there, to do what’s right for him and help him grow up in the best possible way.

“They make me feel good, make me relax. Just seeing the baby is a really good feeling and helps me a lot.

“Sometimes the best thing is not to think about football at all – to come home and step into a completely different world.”

Martin takes his role as Gunners captain seriously, both on and off the pitch.

He said: “It’s a really important part of the job to look after the people around me.

“To make sure everyone feels good, that everyone’s in a good place.

“Every team is made up of different people, everyone needs something different and a big part of my role is to understand that.

“If I can help in any way, I try to do it.”