Emiliano Martínez spends £20,000 on guard dog to protect World Cup winners medal

A small fee to protect a priceless item

World Cup winner Emiliano Martínez has spent £20,000 on a guard dog to help protect his medal for winning the tournament. Martínez was instrumental in helping Argentina win their first World Cup since 1986, starring in two penalty shootouts along the way as he also collected the golden glove award. The 30-year-old has since been in the headlines for his antics post-World Cup win, most notably his continuous taunting of Kylian Mbappé. From asking his teammates to take a "moment of silence" to holding up a doll with the Frenchman's face on it, his behaviour has led to criticism from some football figures. Having since returned to Aston Villa, Martínez isn't taking any risks with his possessions and as reported by the Daily Star, has spent big to do so. It's been reported that he has bought a Belgian Malinois guard dog, which have been used by the SAS and US Navy Seals in combat zones. The guard dog reportedly costs £20,000 and can even weigh up to 30kgs. Several other high-profile footballer and people in the wider sporting world have also used the company to bolster their security. Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta and French goalkeeper Hugo Lloris are among two while former footballers Ashley Cole and Jack Wilshere and boxing star Tyson fury have also bought guard dogs from the company. Martínez has yet to play for Aston Villa since coming back from Qatar but was on the bench for the 2-0 win against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, where Robin Olsen deputised in goal in his absence. Related links:

• Angel Di Maria’s wife piles in on Adil Rami-Emi Martinez World Cup final row
• Emi Martinez taunts Kylian Mbappé again by holding baby doll with French star’s face on it
• Emi Martinez celebrates winning golden glove award by humping trophy right in front of FIFA