Martin, Aaron

Birth Date

29th September 1989

Birthplace

Newport, Isle of White

Occupation

Defender

Biographical Text

Aaron Martin arrived from Oxford United and spent two seasons at Exeter City between 2018 and 2020 during which time he appeared in a play-off final. He then moved on to play for Hamilton Academical and later Port Vale.

Aaron, from the Isle of Wight, started his career at Eastleigh in Conference South and was a regular first-teamer before joining Southampton as a 20-year-old in November 2009 for "an undisclosed five-figure sum, plus appearance and sell-on increments" signing an eighteen-month contract in the process. Initially Aaron went out on loan to Conference Premier Salisbury City before making his first-team debut for the then-third tier Southampton in May 2010. Aaron was to play eighteen games over the following two seasons as Southampton won promotion twice to return to the Premier League in 2012. Once Saints were in the top flight Aaron was to play no further first-team games instead appearing on loan for Crystal Palace and Coventry. Released by Southampton in January 2014, after 20 league games (plus 9 in cups), Aaron played out the 2013/14 season at Birmingham City subsequently joining recently-relegated League One Yeovil Town in June 2014. He was only to play a dozen games for the Somerset club before moving back to Coventry on loan and then permanently. Aaron played a decent amount of football at Coventry over the next eighteen months but, after moving to Oxford United in June 2016, his next two seasons were plagued by injury.    

Indeed, Aaron had not played since February when he agreed terms with Exeter City in June 2018 although this did not prevent him from making his debut for City on the opening day of the 2018/19 season against Carlisle as he went on to make 23 league appearances duringhis first term with the club. He played a further 38 league games (including three in the play-offs) during 2019/20 when he scored one of Exeter’s goals in the play-off semi-final victory over Colchester United. Yet the Wembley defeat to Northampton proved to be Aaron’s final appearance for City and, several months later, he joined Hamilton Academical of the Scottish Premier League before moving to Port Vale at the end of his contract in June 2021. Aaron played a single season at Vale Park helping his new club win promotion through the play-offs. He appeared in the final game of the regular season when Vale won 1-0 at St James Park and his final game for the club was as a late substitute at Wembley when Vale beat Mansfield Town in the play-off final.

In July 2022, after nearly 300 senior matches in England and Scotland, Aaron returned to National League Eastleigh for whom he had played youth, reserve and first-team football between 2003 and 2009. After playing more often in his first season than in the second, Aaron announced his retirement from playing in April 2024.

Appearances

Exeter City

Lrague 58 (plus 3 play-offs); Cups 11 (72)

Goals

League 5 (plus 1 play-off) (6)

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