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Premier League: from future crack at 15, to failure at Real Madrid then the explosion at Arsenal, the incredible career of Martin Ødegaard

2023-01-15T08:51:54.483Z


If he was announced as a future crack 10 years ago, Martin Ødegaard took time to establish himself as one of the best midfielders in Europe. Radiating with Arsenal this season, the Norwegian finally manages to confirm his full potential.


"

He has found his place

" is as simply as Mikel Arteta explains the success and current level of his number 10 Martin Ødegaard.

But to arrive at his place, the Norwegian attacking midfielder will have searched for a long time, will even have failed, but will have ended up exploiting all the potential that was predicted for him.

At only 24 years old, Martin Ødegaard has been talking about him on the football planet for 10 years now.

A precocity which did not help him at the start of his career.

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It was in 2013 that the name of Martin Ødegaard began to appear in the media.

At 15 years and 112 days old, he played his first professional match with Strømsgodset.

And after only a few games, his father said this: “

Almost all the big European clubs have contacted us.

And he wasn't lying.

A few months later, the Norwegian nugget left to train in the four corners of Europe with the first teams of Liverpool, Bayern Munich but especially Real Madrid.

The great change of scenery in Madrid

In the winter of 2015, Real Madrid and Fiorentino Perez, the club's president, took out the checkbook (five million euros for a 17-year-old player) to attract the rising star of Europe.

Filled with sporting and media hopes around his new nugget, the result of this transfer will not live up to expectations.

The Ødegaard phenomenon disappears from radar.

Confined to the reserve of the club, Real Madrid Castilla, Martin Ødegaard is not satisfied and wants to play higher.

But during these first 3 seasons, he will taste the first team only once.

Not enough for the player who wants to play and therefore requests a departure.

A choice that will pay off.

For four seasons, he was loaned to three different clubs: Heerenveen (Netherlands), Vitesse Arnhem (Netherlands) and Real Sociedad.

Ødegaard will find there what he needed: playing time. The Norwegian will then experience a linear progression and return to the ranks.

Without being sensational, he plays more regularly and manages to find consistency.

His stats are starting to pick up and his technical quality is still above average.

After three seasons in the Netherlands, he will go on two loans which will be a turning point in his career.

The promise to Real Sociedad then the confirmation to Arsenal

In 2019, Martin Ødegaard finally has the opportunity to prove himself in a major championship.

Loaned to Real Sociedad, he demonstrates that the promises of these young years were not mere illusions.

Installed in the position of number 10, he had an excellent first half of the season but lacked consistency.

On his return to Real, Zinédine Zidane gives him a chance but once again, Ødegaard does not satisfy.

Between sidelining and injuries, everything suggests that the career of the former promise will never take off.

That's when Mikel Arteta and the Gunners come looking for him.

He is very happy here, there is the ideal atmosphere.

He won people over, he has time on the pitch to enjoy and he does it,

” Mikel Arteta pointed out in March 2022. There, Martin Ødegaard finally found a coach who believes in him and who gives him the keys to success. 'team.

He was offered an indisputable starting place and after half a season of adaptation (on loan), he achieved a full year last season (36 games, 7 goals and 5 assists in the Premier League).

He will even be given the captain's armband at the end of the season.

A sign of confidence and responsibility that the player assumes on the field.

This season, the Norwegian explodes in the eyes of all.

Already as decisive as last year (7 goals and 5 assists), he became the Gunners' handyman.

The game depends on him and he gives it back to his partners.

Each ball touched is enhanced by the Norwegian who carries with him a team that is impressing at the start of the season and which dominates the Premier League.

Martin Ødegaard finally seems fulfilled and in his place in this Gunners team and could, at the end of the season, bring Arsenal back to the top of the Premier League.

Source: lefigaro

All sports articles on 2023-01-15

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