Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard has shared how nervous he was when he met Arsene Wenger for the first time back when he was 15 years old.
The Norwegian joined us on a permanent deal in the summer of 2021, but if Wenger had his way, he could’ve been an Arsenal player years ago.
Real Madrid snapped him then, but Odegaard’s a Gunner now, and we absolutely love him!
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Arsenal’s Martin Odegaard didn’t want to eat fries in front of Arsene Wenger
Before joining Real Madrid back in January 2015, Martin Odegaard was a wanted boy.
Every top club in the world tried to sign the Norwegian back then – including Wenger’s Arsenal, who even took him and his dad out to a restaurant for a meal.
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Speaking to The Players’ Tribune, Odegaard revealed he was extremely nervous during that meeting. He was in awe of Wenger, so much so that he didn’t want to eat the fries that came with his steak because he was scared Wenger would judge him for it.
“I’m not just saying this … I was actually close to choosing Arsenal,” Odegaard said.
“When we went there, I got to train at London Colney. I met Arsene Wenger. He took me and dad out for dinner. That was cool, but strange too.
“It’s Arsène Wenger, you know? He’s this legend I grew up watching on TV, and now I’m sitting across from him eating steak.
“I was so nervous I was just sitting there thinking, ‘Is he analysing me right now? Is he going to judge me if I eat the fries? Maybe I should just leave them.’ Hahaha!”
The Insider’s View:
It’s never easy to say no to a club like Real Madrid, and you can’t blame Odegaard for turning down a move to Arsenal to join the Spanish giants.
Things, however, did not work out for him at the Santiago Bernabeu, and he eventually moved to Arsenal. It’s almost like it was meant to be!
Odegaard is our captain now and among the best players in the Premier League. He has been sensational this season and is one of the biggest reasons why we’re on top of the table.
Arsenal take on Brentford tomorrow, and Odegaard is guaranteed to start. If he has a good game, we should pick up all three points quite comfortably.
