Martin Odegaard from an early age promised to be a great talent. In January 2015, he was bought by Real Madrid from Norwegian side Stromsgodset. Four months later, he made his debut in the senior team against Getafe (7: 3), replacing Cristiano Ronaldo in the 58th minute. To this day, he remains the youngest player to play for the “Royal”, he was 16 years and 156 days old.
Martin Odegaard recalls a disappointing time at Real Madrid. “I understand why it happened”
The stay of the Norwegian in the capital club turned out to be a disappointment. He was technically their player for six and a half years, but in that time he made just 11 appearances, failing to score or register an assist. He spent most of this period on loan, on this basis in January 2021 he went to Arsenal. He bought it after the end of the season and plays there to this day.
In an interview with Player’s Tribune, Odegaard spoke about his beginnings at Real. Although he did not come as a leading player, he could count on the support of the biggest stars. “Everyone was very nice and those who spoke English, like Ronaldo, Modric and Kroos, paid more attention to me at the beginning. They gave me advice and helped me a lot,” he said.
Over time, the situation began to get complicated. The Norwegian trained with the first team, but played in the second team’s matches. For this reason, nowhere was he able to build himself a proper position on the pitch and in the locker room. “I stopped playing with my typical spark. Now I understand why it happened. I was still a small child, but I learned that you have to be ruthless. You have to be fucked and do everything to show the real you on the pitch – he explained.
Odegaard felt that he had not made much progress over the years, for which he was heavily criticized. Because of this, he seriously considered leaving Real Madrid, which he eventually did. – This is what happens when there is a lot of noise around you. There is no middle ground in modern football. Either you are the best transfer ever or you are shit.
A stay in the Spanish capital prepared the 24-year-old for a high-stakes game. Currently, he is one of the leaders of the sensational Arsenal, which has a very good chance of winning the first league title in 19 years. I’ve learned to be tough and face challenges. It’s part of who I am now. That’s why I’m here right now,” he concluded.
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Source: Sport.PL
Tristin is an accomplished author and journalist, known for his in-depth and engaging writing on sports. He currently works as a writer at 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the sports industry.
