Arsenal star Martin Odegaard has given his opinion on what it was like to be labelled as a ‘wonderkid’ during his time at Real Madrid.
The playmaker was once hailed as the next big thing in football after Odegaard made the move from Norway to Madrid as a 15-year-old, though like many self-proclaimed wonderkids in football, the midfielder failed to make much of an impact at Los Blancos.
Having impressed out on loan, Odegaard eventually made the permanent move to Arsenal in 2021, where the Norwegian international has since developed into one of the best midfielders in the world and has now arguably hit his once incredible potential when he moved to Madrid as a teenager.
And Odegaard has now shared what he thinks of being rated so highly as a youngster.
Odegaard didn’t realise how much pressure he was under at Madrid
Speaking on CBS Morning Footy, the Arsenal captain admitted that he didn’t actually realise at the time how much pressure had at Madrid to succeed, with the playmaker saying in retrospect that it was ‘a lot’ to deal with.
Whilst Odegaard’s time at Madrid was far from ideal, the lessons learnt from the move and the eventual switch to Arsenal all played a role in the now-25-year-old becoming the player he is now, with the midfielder easily one of the best in the world in his position.
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Odegaard said when asked about his ‘wonderkid’ tag at Madrid: “It was a lot, to be honest, I was so young that I don’t think I realised too much what was going on at that time, I just enjoyed playing football and I had fun, so I didn’t think too much about it.
“But when I look back at it now, I can see that it was a lot, but I think I dealt with it in a good way, I was always focused on what I could do and what I could control to work hard and enjoy playing football. It took me through some difficult moments and some good moments, but I’m here today and I’m happy with where I am.”
Odegaard would not be who he is now at Arsenal without his journey
From kicking a ball at Madrid to going out on loan four times to four different teams, it’s safe to say that Odegaard’s journey to the top hasn’t been a conventional one for the Norwegian superstar.
Yet the 25-year-old would not be where he is now as captain of Arsenal had it not been for the journey that the midfield maestro went on, with Odegaard taking all the right lessons on his path to north London.
The former Madrid wonderkid might not have made it at the biggest club in the world, yet at Arsenal, Odegaard found his true home, and the midfielder could now be about to play a huge role in the Gunners’ most successful period in some years under Mikel Arteta.
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