A devoted Aston Villa supporter, he played his schoolboy football mainly at Home Farm before signing for Seán Thomas' Bohemians in 1968.
In 2023, Martin was announced as recipient of a winners medal for Manchester United who were the 1975 second division champions, following historian research and a reduction in the number of eligible games by the EFL.
[1] Martin moved to Newcastle United for £100,000 in 1978 and spent five years at the club, making 147 appearances and scoring five goals.
After retiring as a player, Martin had spells on the coaching staff at Newcastle and under Liam Brady at Celtic.
Martin was also a regular match summariser on Metro Radio and won a Sony Gold award with Magic 1152, along with Justin Lockwood, for the coverage of Alan Shearer's testimonial.