MARTIN ODEGAARD is backing himself to lead the Arsenal revival — and knows exactly what he is letting himself in for.
The playmaker, 22, gained valuable insight into the problems plaguing a club which has lost its way during last season’s loan at the Emirates.
Yet it was not enough to deter him from returning to north London on a permanent basis after agreeing a five-year contract last night.
And if anyone can handle the hopes of desperate Arsenal supporters holding out for a hero, then Odegaard is surely their man.
For the new darling of the Emirates has been dealing with great expectations ever since he was a young boy growing up in Norway while being courted by some of the biggest clubs in football.
He was just 13 when he started training with Stromsgodset’s senior team and 15 when he made his debut for them, the youngest player in the history of the Norwegian League.
It was around this time that he was invited to train with Manchester United, Liverpool and Bayern Munich, and given a guided tour of the Arsenal training ground at London Colney.
But those would-be suitors were all wasting their breath — as Odegaard was already committed to a £4million move to Real Madrid, just a month after his 16th birthday.
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Unfortunately for the child prodigy, coach Carlo Ancelotti knew nothing about the deal — and he was not impressed.
The Italian later admitted: “When the president buys a Norwegian footballer and decides he will play three games with the first team, you simply have to accept it.
“He could have been the best player in the world, but I didn’t care because he was not a player who I asked for.
“That signing was to do with public relations.”
Hardly surprising, then, that Odegaard struggled to make an impact at the Bernabeu before being loaned to Heerenveen, Vitesse Arnhem and Real Sociedad.
When he found himself kicking his heels on the Real bench again last season, Odegaard jumped at the opportunity in January to revive his career on loan at Arsenal.
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And the young midfielder showed enough in his 20 appearances for the Gunners to convince manager Mikel Arteta that he was a player worth keeping.
Sceptics will point out that Odegaard managed only one goal and two assists in the Premier League as Arsenal stumbled to an eighth-placed finish last season.
Especially as Gunners academy starlet Joe Willock, 21, outshone him on loan at Newcastle at the end of last season, scoring eight goals in just 14 games.
Arsenal legend Paul Merson has slammed the club for now selling Willock to the Geordies for £25m, insisting: “Why would you let Willock go? Surely he is a player for the present and future.”
Yet Odegaard’s ability to pick a pass and instantly adapt to the pace of the English game was enough for Spaniard Arteta.
The Gunners boss said: “Martin has adapted really well to our way of playing and to our football club.
“Hopefully we have given him the hope and the feeling that this could be a good place for him.”
The player himself was not totally convinced and initially planned to return to Madrid and force his way into the Real team.
But the writing was on the wall as soon as Ancelotti returned to replace Zinedine Zidane as the coach.
And when Odegaard did not even make the bench for last Saturday’s opening-day win at Alaves, he knew it was time to leave.
At just £30m, Arsenal believe the young Norway captain is a real steal considering they were quoted £60m for Leicester’s James Maddison and £40m for Norwich’s Emi Buendia, now at Aston Villa.
Quite how he fits into Arteta’s team without blocking the progress of fellow young gun Emile Smith Rowe is a dilemma the manager will be happy to have.
The duo did start a handful of games together last season but 21-year-old Smith Rowe was not as effective out wide, as he has been playing in the central role preferred by Odegaard.
Arteta learned during his time as Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City assistant that you can never have too many good players.
And he needs all the help he can get right now to make Arsenal a competitive force once again.
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