The story of Martin Odegaard It’s one of those hard to find these days. Considered a child prodigy, when he was still a teenager, half of Europe began to raffle him and he real Madrid the one who took the cat out of the water.
Although the Norwegian’s conditions are brilliant, the midfielder has never appeared in white and, far from meeting expectations, he has dissolved in transfers to such an extent that many thought that all the glittering of his era is not gold.
Now leader, captain and star of Arsenal Premier League leader, Odegaard reviewed his career in The Players Tribune and featured everything he had to say about his past in Madrid.
Choosing a club as a teenager: “My father ran all the clubs, and there were a lot of them. We went to Bayern, Dortmund, Manchester United, Liverpool, Madrid and Arsenal too. They took us on private planes and made us feel special. I was close to Arsenal’s selection. When we went there, I trained at London Colney. I met Arsène Wenger. He took me and my dad to dinner. That was cool, but also weird. Arsène Wenger, you know? This is the legend I grew up with watching TV, and now I’m sitting in front of him eating steak”.
He decided in Madrid: “I talked a lot with my father and my whole family. In the end, Madrid is Madrid. They are champions of the Champions League with the best players in the world. At that time, I loved Isco, he was so soft with the But the really important thing about Madrid’s offer is that they had a B team where I could play competitive football straight away. And the coach of that team? Zinedine Zidane”.
A Galactic Presentation: “They sent a plane to pick us up from Norway in the morning. Very early. So, I woke up but I’m still half asleep. My hair is a mess. I don’t have time to shower. put on clothes that I can wear quickly, put something smarter in a bag and off we go. I thought when I got to the hotel in Madrid I could change, shower, get ready, you know? Suddenly I sat down. next to Madrid legend Emilio Butragueño , wearing a Very fancy suit of course and introducing me to the world I know you’ve seen the pictures Me in this old striped sweater not even showering trying to smooth my hair. my hands This is the biggest day of “The my life, the images went all over the world. I’m supposed to be this player that Real Madrid beat everyone to sign and I’m like a random school kid who just got off the stadium tour.”
His arrival in the locker room full of cracks: “It was surreal. I wasn’t old enough to drive, so my dad had to take me to play Isco, Ronaldo, Ramos, Modric, Bale and Benzema, it’s like he left me at school. But they were all very nice, and the English speakers took care of me at first.”
The critics: “With Castilla, I wasn’t with them regularly, so I didn’t find that connection. In the first team I was just a kid who came to train. I didn’t join the games. I felt a bit like an outsider. I was stuck in medium I stopped playing with the flash that is typical of my game I was a little too safe for a while I was more worried about not making mistakes than actually playing my game the press was after me for not immediately living up to expectations “I was an easy target. If you really know me, you know I smile a lot, but I think from the outside sometimes my face looks more grumpy than I really am! It was easy for them to write about. how I struggled to adjust. Maybe if I had been Spanish, they would have given me a little more time to grow up. To tell you the truth, I do not know. There is no middle ground in modern football. Either you’re the best signing in history, or you’re shit.”.
Round trip to Madrid: “I had a good connection with Zidane since I was coaching at Castilla and I took care of myself, so I wanted to believe that this time it would work. But then I got COVID. I started the first two games of the season that was in 2020 -21, but I never fully recovered. I didn’t play at my best level and after that, I didn’t have many opportunities. Almost none. Meanwhile, I was watching Real Sociedad on TV thinking, I can be there still.I can only thank Madrid for betting on a 16-year-old boy They all meant well and I don’t blame anyone, but I need to find a place where I can settle. I need to find a real house. I found it in London”.
Source: La Verdad
I am Shawn Partain, a journalist and content creator working for the Today Times Live. I specialize in sports journalism, writing articles that cover major sporting events and news stories. With a passion for storytelling and an eye for detail, I strive to be accurate and insightful in my work.
