'When I came here, we weren’t where we are now. To be part of that journey means a lot to me’ Martin Odegaard opens up on his move to Arsenal

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The Gunners skipper initially signed on loan at the Emirates in 2021

Arsenal midfielder Martin Odegaard celebrates after the Gunners' win over Manchester City in the Premier League in October 2023.
Martin Odegaard joined Arsenal in 2021 (Image credit: Getty Images)

Martin Odegaard’s journey from a much-hyped teenager to the top of the Premier League has not been a straightforward one.

Tipped for greatness as a 15-year-old, the Norwegian was snapped up by Real Madrid in 2015, before a series of loan spells saw him turn out across Europe before finally settling in north London.

Ordegaard on his journey to Arsenal

Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard, while at Real Madrid

Odegaard joined Arsenal from Real Madrid (Image credit: Getty Images)

Now in his fifth full season at the Emirates and having been handed the captain’s armband at the start of the 2022/23 campaign, the 27-year-old is well and truly settled in London.

“For sure,” Odegaard tells FourFourTwo when asked if London feels like home. “Moving around so much was good in one way, because I learned a lot and had to adapt, whether to different teams, different coaches or different cultures.

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“But at the same time, you miss something. You miss stability, the feeling of being in one place and really belonging.

“That’s what I’ve found here at Arsenal and in London. From the first moment I walked into the training ground, I felt as if I belonged here.

“I felt at home, and that allowed me to settle properly. It’s a nice feeling to be part of something for a long time – to be part of a process, to grow together, to keep getting better. When I came here, we weren’t where we are now.

“To be part of that journey means a lot to me,” he continues, before adding that this connection stretches beyond club football.

“It’s the same with the national team,” adds the Norway skipper, who is preparing to lead his country at their first World Cup since 1998 this summer.

Martin Odegaard

Odegaard was named Arsenal skipper in 2022 (Image credit: Getty Images)
Joe Mewis
Joe Mewis

For more than a decade, Joe Mewis has worked in football journalism as a reporter and editor. Mewis has had stints at Mirror Football and LeedsLive among others and worked at FourFourTwo throughout Euro 2024, reporting on the tournament. In addition to his journalist work, Mewis is also the author of four football history books that include times on Leeds United and the England national team. Now working as a digital marketing coordinator at Harrogate Town, too, Mewis counts some of his best career moments as being in the iconic Spygate press conference under Marcelo Bielsa and seeing his beloved Leeds lift the Championship trophy during lockdown.

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