There were quite a few Arsenal fans that were not happy that Mikel Arteta signed Martin Odegaard from Real Madrid after an underwhelming six month loan at the Emirates, but for the young Norwegian it was literally a dream come true.
It didn’t take long for the youngster to win over the Arsenal fans and he has gone from strength to strength and is now one of our biggest stars as well as our captain,
Odegaard could not be happier, and he explained in an article in the Players Tribune just how long he had been a keen Arsenal fan: “I’ve always had this weird connection to Arsenal. It started long before I signed. I don’t even really know how to explain it, except with one little story.
“I’ve never been that much into video games. I am of that generation that always played outside, but the one exception was FIFA. I mostly played Career Mode. You know, where you get to be the manager?
“The club I always chose to manage was Arsenal. They were my FIFA team.
“Growing up in Norway, I watched a lot of Premier League and I just had this good feeling about Arsenal. I’d seen clips of Thierry Henry and the Invincibles. I knew the club had a history of developing playmakers like Fabregas, Nasri, Özil — really smart, technical players, who were good on the ball and played the difficult passes. My kind of players.
“As I got older, around the 2015 edition, I started actually appearing in FIFA. I didn’t look much like me at first. I think I was like a 67 overall, but I was actually in the game and it was a big deal. So, naturally, one of the first things I did when I was pretending to be Arsène Wenger on Career Mode was to buy myself. Haha!
“Me and Arsenal. It just seemed like a good match in my head.
“That special connection turned into a reality when I signed here two years ago. It was a decision that changed my life around. I come into training smiling every day. But my story is definitely not Career Mode. This has been a very different journey to how I imagined it on FIFA. In real life, you can’t just select where you want to go and everything will be perfect.”
You may not be able to make your dreams come true “in real life” usually, but Odegaard has fulfilled his dream after all. Now Arsenal fans have “a good feeling” about the youngster and the feeling is reciprocated.
This is your year to lead is greater glory Martin. Maybe you can make OUR dreams come true!
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I am so glad he wasn’t @ his best in his innitial loan spell. Don’t think Madrid would have sold him to us if he was.
I just wonder if he deliberately held back or if it was just due to acclimatizing or other factors. If its the former then he deserves a statue like asap.
ALWAYS FORWARD!! (prtetend to be weak when you are strong)
Lol. No way he deliberately did that. Remember we were not at our best and he had hopes to prove himself in Madrid. They were way bigger than us. I don’t say he did not like AFC, but he seemingly had in mind to succeed at Madrid.
Most times things connect for a reason one would not explain, good lad. Lead your team to glorious heights. Salute!
So glad for him and for Arsenal!!
My favourite player since Santi
When his(Ødegaad) came up to scene with Madrid, I had it in my heart that he is Arsenal player.
When he was on loan, I think Arteta intensionally drop him bench because he was playing well at the beginning but Smith Rowe proven any time he comes in so Arteta stated given him(Smith Rowe) chance. Technically it was easy way to get him (Ødegaad) from Madrid
He is truly the embodiment of Arteta’s philosophy and thus the icon of Arteta’s Arsenal. I hope our captain stays and retires at Arsenal.