Martin Odegaard certainly generated a lot of excitement when he signed for Real Madrid all those years ago, but in the end it just didn’t quite work out for the midfield starlet.
It wasn’t his fault – nobody could have predicted that Toni Kroos and Luka Modric could be so good for so long. Instead of gradually being phased in to replace them, Odegaard just had to watch them continue to shine.
But speaking ahead of Spain’s game with Norway, the 24 year old said that he regretted nothing about his move:
“My time in Madrid was good. It was a positive stage. I learned to mature and it was a great apprenticeship, but I needed to play more. I’m happy with the decision to leave and how my career has gone. If I hadn’t been at Madrid I wouldn’t have reached the level I have today.”
Odegaard also emphasised that he wouldn’t have been the same player today if it hadn’t been for that stage at the Bernabeu, and his time there, as well as his loan at Real Sociedad, both did improve him through his tender years.
Now Arsenal get to reap the benefits.
