Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard shares what Arsene Wenger said to him recently

By Giuseppe Labellarte

Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard has told The Players’ Tribune what Gunners legend Arsene Wenger said to him when the two met up last year.

The Gunners midfielder gave an in-depth interview to the outlet where he discussed his life and career, including his formative days in the game.

Odegaard has made a huge impact at the Emirates Stadium since his initial loan move in January 2021.

Arsenal subsequently snapped the Norway captain up from Real Madrid that summer for a reported £34million.

Back in 2015, Los Blancos signed Odegaard from Stromgodset when he was just 16 years old.

However, as the years went by, he found first-team football hard to come by at the Bernabeu.

Much of Odegaard’s time on the Real books was spent out on loan.

And in January 2021, he made the switch to Arsenal, and never looked back.

Two years on, Odegaard is closing in on 100 competitive Gunners appearances.

He also has 17 goals and 13 assists to his name.

And then there’s obviously the captain’s armband at such a young age.

‘We had a good chat’

Needless to say, Odegaard’s career has gone from strength to strength, and Arsenal are doing the same.

The Norwegian told The Players’ Tribune that he spoke to Wenger after the win over West Ham on Boxing Day.

Odegaard said the Frenchman told him he was worried about how things were going for him previously.

But now, Wenger is delighted to see Odegaard thriving, said the player.

“After the win over West Ham on Boxing Day, I got the chance to speak to Wenger,” said Odegaard.

“It was the first time he’d been back to the Emirates since 2018. And the first time I’d seen him since that steak and fries all those years ago.

“We had a good chat and he mentioned that he’d kept a close eye on my career even after I chose Madrid.

“He was honest and said that at one point he was actually worried about the way things were going for me.

“But now he’s so happy to see me doing well in the right environment.”

Arsenal and Odegaard growing together – TBR View

Odegaard joining Arsenal was a great call for both player and club.

The midfielder was struggling for game time at Real Madrid and spent a lot of time out on loan.

Likewise, the Gunners weren’t in a great place. While they were winning FA Cups, they looked well off being a title contender.

Now, Odegaard is not only a first-team regular at Arsenal but is their captain, at just 24.

And the Gunners are sitting pretty at the top of the Premier League table, dreaming of one of their best seasons in years.