Arsenal have had some incredible midfielders over the years, and current captain Martin Odegaard is well on his way to emulating some of the best.
The early days of Arsene Wenger’s reign saw footballing legends in Patrick Vieira and Dennis Bergkamp team up to win multiple major trophies together, before a young Cesc Fabregas forced his way into the team to replace them in the long run.
Prodigal young talents Jack Wilshere and Aaron Ramsey soon came along, and they were joined by Mesut Ozil and Santi Cazorla in a cup-winning side during Mikel Arteta’s final years as a player.
When Arsenal were at their lowest point in Arteta’s managerial career, they were lacking a creative midfielder in a similar mould to these past stars, until Emile Smith Rowe came along as the solution.
Smith Rowe was quickly joined by Odegaard, who joined on an initial loan from Real Madrid in January 2021 before a deal was made permanent.
Odegaard quickly rose in prominence in the Arsenal squad, and is now club captain and one of the best players in the Premier League.
The technically gifted midfielder has now revealed that there was an Arsenal player in his position that he simply loved watching, and his manager feels the same way, having played with him before.
Martin Odegaard and Mikel Arteta praise Arsenal hero Santi Cazorla
Cazorla was one of Arsenal’s most popular, and most technically astute midfielders to play for the club in recent times, and Odegaard has now explained why he liked the Spaniard so much.
“He was an unbelievable player, I remember watching him when I was younger. He was someone I enjoyed watching so much,” Odegaard stated of Cazorla in an interview with Theo Walcott.
Arteta, who was sat alongside Odegaard during the interview, beamed about his former teammate.
“Little Santi! I have a smile on my face. An unbelievable person that had such a special energy about him,” Arteta stated of his compatriot.
How Santi Cazorla inspired Martin Odegaard at Arsenal
Whilst Odegaard and Cazorla may have slightly different strengths in some aspects of their play, similarities between the two simply cannot be ignored.
Cazorla began his Arsenal career as a number 10 or wide attacking midfielder, but within two seasons he dropped into a deeper midfield role alongside Francis Coquelin, to help dictate the game.
Odegaard plays in a fairly similar role now, as an advanced eight rather than a pure number 10, and the technical excellence and intelligence of both players clearly stands out.
Cazorla was arguably more of a genius on the ball, but Odegaard’s work-rate and eye for goal perhaps surpass the Spaniard.
Cazorla’s legacy and impact at Arsenal was to do with more than just his incredible playing ability, as his jovial character made him a fan favourite, but his time at the club was brutally brought to an end by a serious injury.
The Spaniard is still playing for his boyhood club Real Oviedo in the Spanish Segunda Division, but he could end up returning to Arsenal as a coach at the end of his playing career.
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