Martin Keown shares what Martin Odegaard is really like behind-the-scenes at Arsenal, ‘I’ve seen him’

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Martin Keown has revealed what he thinks of Martin Odegaard, having seen how the Arsenal captain operates behind the scenes.

Odegaard struggled at times last season, scoring just three goals and registering eight assists across all competitions.

This poor form has prompted question marks to be raised about the Gunners’ reliance on the Norwegian, as well as the player’s status as club captain.

Tony Adams sparked controversy this week by claiming Mikel Arteta should strip Odegaard of his captaincy and appoint Declan Rice as the new Arsenal skipper.

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Martin Keown praises Martin Odegaard’s character behind the scenes

Odegaard has been one of Arsenal’s best players in recent years.

The playmaker may have endured a below-par season in 2024/25, but he was awarded the Gunners’ Player of the Year award in the previous two campaigns.

Mikel Arteta has remained unequivocal in his support and admiration for his skipper, responding to Adams’ comments by revealing that the Arsenal squad voted for his captaincy once again this summer.

“Martin has got hundreds of qualities and everybody who has come across him will notice them very quickly,” the manager said in his press conference on Friday.

“By a mile, by a big, big 100 marks, everybody chose the same person, which is Martin Odegaard, which is the most clear sign that you can have, how they feel about who has to be their captain to defend, improve and win the matches that we want to win.

“So, I mean, there’s no question about that.”

Odegaard’s professionalism hasn’t been noticed just by Arteta and the Arsenal players, but also by former Gunners defender Martin Keown.

Speaking on the TNT Sports YouTube channel, Keown waxed lyrical about Odegaard’s personality.

“I think Odegaard, I’ve seen him operate behind the scenes,” the pundit said.

“He’s very together, very calm, very caring. He was at Real Madrid for years, and it never really happened for him.

“I think he sees it in a different way. So, there’s a real togetherness. There’s no shortage of spirit with the group.”

Martin Odegaard needs to return to his form from two years ago this season

While question marks over his commitment are absurd, there are valid questions to be raised about Arsenal’s dependence on Odegaard.

Ethan Nwaneri can fill in for the 26-year-old, although the youngster is yet to develop the passing ability that Odegaard possesses.

If the Norway international is removed from Arteta’s side, they lack someone who offers creative passing, and thus, he is something of a single point of failure.

As shown by the data above, Odegaard’s output declined significantly last season.

Given how Arsenal look significantly better when he’s at his best, it’s absolutely imperative that the midfielder returns to the heights that he achieved between 2022 and 2024.