Arsenal legend Ray Parlour is adamant that Martin Odegaard remains the right man to captain the North London club amid suggestions Declan Rice should take the armband.
Rice has become a big leader for Arsenal, especially on the pitch, which has led to shouts for him to become the next club captain.
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The 26-year-old’s performances have quickly made him the main man at the Emirates Stadium, reaffirming his status as a contender for the captaincy.
However, Parlour believes that Odegaard has done so much to prove that he is still the perfect captain for Arsenal.
Ray Parlour backs Martin Odegaard as Arsenal captain over Declan Rice
Ray Parlour is backing Martin Odegaard to remain as the captain of Arsenal despite calls for Declan Rice to be appointed in the role.
Odegaard and Rice combined at the weekend for the Gunners’ second goal of the evening in a 3-2 win over AFC Bournemouth.
Over recent weeks, Odegaard has been getting back to his best form for Arsenal and is quickly becoming as influential as Rice.
Commenting on Odegaard’s recent form, Parlour told TalkSPORT: “Odegaard is such an important player. I know people say about him being the skipper, or Declan Rice should be the skipper.
Fill the blanks: I think Martin Odegaard will end the season with a total of __ goal contributions.
“But he does so much behind the scenes, training-wise and with the youngsters, so I think he is the perfect candidate, at the moment.
“He’s got to keep stepping up, playing well, and because he’s got competition, Eze’s not even featured the last three weeks.”
It’s clear that the conversation about the captaincy needs to come to an end, with Odegaard tailor-made for the role.
Martin Odegaard’s return to form is huge for Arsenal
Parlour is delighted about Odegaard’s return to form for Arsenal and feels like the Gunners’ attack play is once again being dictated by the Norwegian international.
Speaking about the Gunners, Jeff Stelling suggested: “One of the biggest things for Arsenal at the moment is the re-emergence of Martin Odegaard.”
“Definitely, that second half against Aston Villa, I go back to that game at the Emirates, and I thought he was excellent, he was always on the ball,” responded Parlour.
“He put that little ball through Zubimendi to score. When he’s on his game, he always wants the ball; he’s always in positions to receive the ball in tight areas. He can get himself out of a tight area as well. He’s got such a good football mind.”
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