I stumbled upon Martin Ødegaard’s interview with the Player’s Tribune and I couldn’t help but feel proud for what he and Arsenal have achieved thus far in the 2022/23 campaign. It was evident that he was going to be a star following his exemplary performances at Strømsgodset in his native Viking land, Norway, but despite interest from elite Premier League clubs like Man Utd, Liverpool and of course, Arsenal, Ødegaard chose Real Madrid, thereby rejecting the offers from the English clubs.
He revealed how he visited our famous London Colney ground and had dinner with the legendary Arsene Wenger,
“I’m not just saying this … I was actually close to choosing Arsenal. When we went there, I got to train at London Colney. I met Arsène Wenger. He took me and Dad out for dinner. That was cool, but strange too. It’s Arsène Wenger, you know? He’s this legend I grew up watching on TV, and now I’m sitting across from him eating steak. I was so nervous I was just sitting there thinking, Is he analysing me right now? Is he going to judge me if I eat the fries? Maybe I should just leave them.”
Ødegaard gave Real Madrid the nod because of the fact that they had a Reserve team, Real Madrid Castilla, that could offer his consistent football in a competitive second-tier league, and after making 58 appearances for Castilla in two seasons, Real Madrid decided that it was time for their prized asset to get a taste of senior competitive football, and that’s when the numerous loan spells came through – 38 appearances with Dutch outfit, SC Heereeveen, in the 2017/18 season, before moving to Vitesse Arnhem where he enjoyed a good goalscoring spell, banging in 11 goals in 39 appearances. His parent club decided to bring him to familiar surroundings and take a closer look at their rising star with Real Sociedad offering him competitive and consistent football in the 2019/20 campaign.
Ødegaard’s performances in Real Sociedad colors didn’t go unnoticed with the fans, as he earned the September Player of the Month award in that campaign, and in a twist of fate, Ødegaard helped Real Sociedad eliminate Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey quarterfinals and led the team to a sixth place finish, which was enough to secure Europa League football.
Real Madrid decided that it was time to reap the benefits of their player that had garnered experience all over Europe, but he managed only seven appearances in the 2020/21 season before moving to Arsenal on loan in the winter transfer window. In that interview, Ødegaard revealed how persuasive Mikel Arteta was in his bid to join the Gunners,
“I spoke to Mikel Arteta on a Zoom call and he told me all about the project. At the time, Arsenal were not doing well. They were way down like 15th in the table, but that meeting … Honestly, I challenge anyone to come away from a meeting with Arteta and not believe everything he tells you.
“He is next level. It’s hard to explain. He’s passionate, he’s intense and sometimes, yeah, he’s a bit crazy … but when he speaks, you understand that whatever he says will happen, will happen.
“He told me his plan, everything he was building towards. He knew exactly what needed to change at the club. He told me all about these amazing young players in the squad — Saka, Martinelli, Smith Rowe, etc., etc. He told me how he wanted me to fit in and how I was going to improve.
“I got this strong feeling that he was onto something really special.”
Ødegaard joined Arsenal on a permanent basis, became club captain, and has emerged to talismanic status in the club. For those that don’t know, the Norwegian maestro spoke about how he loved Arsenal from an early age, using the club regularly in his Career Mode on FIFA, and mentioned the players he enjoyed watching – Cesc Fabregas, Samir Nasri and Mesut Ozil, who he pretty much models his current football on.
With eight goals and six assists this season, Ødegaard has been a standout performer for Arsenal and his efforts in January were recognized by his peers and fans alike as he won the PFA Player of the Month award.
There is still a long way to go between now and the end of the campaign, but Odegaard has shown that he can be dependable for the Gunners as he has gone on to score vital goals in games where the usual expected goal scorers didn’t turn up. Like the rest of the team, his feet are firmly on the ground and I’m happy that he has confirmed that he wants to stay in the club for a long time,
“I can only thank Madrid for investing in a 16-year-old kid. Everybody had good intentions and I don’t blame anyone, but I needed to find a place where I could settle. I needed to find an actual home.
I found it in North London.”
I guess its fair to say that Martin Ødegaard and Arsenal were made for each other.
Sayonara.
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