Odegaard convinces: “They have let him have mistakes and he has grown”

Martin Odegaard could not wait any longer. The Norwegian midfielder came to the Real Madrid academy as a teenager and grew up under a contract with the whites on different loans after joining Castilla from Stromsgodset.

From 2017 to 2019 he developed his attacking talent in the Netherlands with Heerenveen and Vitesse. New return and new exit. This time, the exam was almost final. PTry in LaLiga with Real Sociedad and outstanding. He left worth 15 million euros and returned to Madrid costing 45. The reasons for the rise? 36 games as a txuriurdin, seven goals, nine assists, LaLiga player of the month and one of those who well deserved the price of a ticket. There was a return to Madrid, but it did not fit in with Zidane in half a season. There, Arsenal arrived. Growing up in the post-Invincibles era with Wenger still at the helm, Martin understood that one of his star pupils, Arteta, would be able to develop his game under the London spotlight. He dressed as a ‘gunner’ in his last assignment and in the summer, he headed to London. His dreams in Madrid had come to an end for now.

With an Arsenal in constant growth and commitment to young people, Martin Odegaard appeared as the most brilliant diamond to polish. With a short schedule as there is no room in Europe, Arteta has been betting on him constantly and has given him minutes to grow until he reaches his full potential. One that he showed this week in the 2-0 win against Leicester. After scoring against Watford, Martin took over at Arsenal. Up to 68 times he passed the ball through his feet and in 80% of them he returned a pass as good as or better than the one he received.

His game and his moment of form make praise the common opinion about his game for his coach, but also for the former players who are now pundits. “It was magnificent. He understands and manages the game when he needs to. I think he has come a long way since he arrived. He is showing great maturity and responsibility. He makes others better”, assured Arteta about the player. One, which the press considers a bargain when closing his arrival from Madrid for 35 million euros (Five below its value at that time). “It’s still early to say! But we were convinced that he would fit in with our club. We are really happy with him,” assured the Basque transforming a possible pressure load into another good comment.

On television sets, Odegaard was also one of the recurring topics of conversation after the meeting at the Emirates. Micah Richards, formerly of Manchester City, was impressed by his talent. “He’s excellent. What I like the most is the ability he has to get into areas where people fail to make an impact. In those tight spots where he has to handle the ball and keep his composure. You can’t go for him in the current state of form because it dictates the game,” he acknowledged.

Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, formerly of Chelsea and Atlético de Madrid, believes, more generally, that Arsenal’s ability to allow him to err in the face of Real Madrid’s demand is what has allowed him to reach that level. “Having that pressure with 16 years. It’s a big thing for him to go to Real Madrid and the youngsters who play in the first team there have no margin for error. It doesn’t exist at Real Madrid. He arrived at Arsenal last year and they kept giving him the opportunity because they trust. At the beginning of the season he was not the player he is now. But once again they allowed him to make mistakes and as a young player those mistakes help you to grow,” he said.

Redknapp Jr also wanted to focus on the evolution since his arrival in Madrid until now at Arsenal. “He had an interesting career because he broke in when he was 15/16 years old, he was a teenage star and everyone was talking about him. He probably came to Madrid too early and it didn’t work out for him. Zidane wasn’t a big fan of his game. yielded several times and everyone wondered what his next step was going to be. Arsenal was the perfect situation for him. It was difficult for him to adapt, but now we see his capabilities, he is showing it every week. He is now a man who loves the way he plays football,” he said.

For Martin himself it is confidence that is making the difference. “We have a lot of confidence in the group and we played with a lot of confidence. Everyone believes in what we do. We are strong as a team and it is the most important thing, “he assured on Sky Sports. Ua confidence that they hope to maintain to get a ticket for Europe. The next appointment will put it to the test on Wednesday at home against Liverpool (9:15pm CET). A great setting for a Martin Odegaard in a state of grace.