Odegaard: 'Leaving Real was the best decision'

According to Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard, leaving Real Madrid allows him to develop more.

Odegaard joined Real in 2014, aged 15. He played just 11 games in his seven-year contract with the Spanish club, with loan spells at Heerenveen, Vitesse, Sociedad and Arsenal in between. In 2021, Arsenal bought Odegaard outright for $35 million and the Norwegian became team captain a year later.

"Leaving Real was the right decision for me," Martin Odegaard told the Daily Mail on October 14. "I want to play more and continue to develop."

Odegaard (left) celebrates Arsenal's 1-0 win over Man City on October 8. Photo: Arsenal — Odegaard (left) celebrates Arsenal's 1-0 win over Man City on October 8. Photo: *Arsenal*

Odegaard is now one of the world's top attacking midfielders. Last season, he led Arsenal to second place in the Premier League. The Gunners led until round 33, before falling behind due to injuries and inconsistency compared to Man City.

Odegaard and Arsenal have continued to improve this season. They beat Man City 4-1 in the Community Shield penalty shootout, then won 1-0 in the eighth round of the Premier League. The Gunners and Tottenham are now tied on 20 points, two points ahead of the defending champions.

Odegaard has played better since leaving, but he still considers his time at Real to be a positive one. The 24-year-old midfielder insists that at Real he learned a lot, matured and had the opportunity to train with the world's top players. "Maybe the opportunity came too soon, but it was a great experience," Odegaard added. "If I hadn't come to Real, I wouldn't have reached the level I have now."

Odegaard also said that it was completely understandable that he only played 11 games in seven years for Real. He considered Real the biggest club in the world and the pressure always existed, even without Cristiano Ronaldo or other superstars.

Odegaard is also the captain of Norway. The 24-year-old midfielder and his teammates are third in Group A of the Euro 2024 qualifiers, with 10 points from six games, behind Scotland and Spain. Norway still have a chance to secure one of the top two spots if they play well against Spain and Scotland in their final two games.

Thanh Quy (according to Daily Mail )

Source link