Odegaard can become the next Arsenal captain
Many Arsenal fans believe that Keiran Tierney becoming the captain of the Gunners is not a matter of “if” but “when.”
The Scotsman has been hailed for his never-say-die spirit and many supporters want to see the famous armband around the biceps of the 24-year-old.
However, underestimating the leadership qualities of other squad members, especially Martin Ødegaard, would be short-sighted.
The Norwegian was appointed the captain of his national team earlier this year, at the age of just 22.
Having said that, it is the latest development that has caught the eyes of many. Majority of people in the football industry and within the Norway national team setup believe that the squad has underperformed in big matches in the past few years.
Especially with the talented squad that is at disposal. The Nordic country boasts several players who have experience of playing in one of the best leagues in the world such as Erling Haaland, Sander Berge, Alexander Sørloth, Mohamed Elyounoussi, Joshua King and Odegaard himself.
But the former Real Madrid man has been far from happy with their performances of his team against Europe’s big boys. Speaking to Norway’s TV 2 Sporten (transcribed by the Metro), the Arsenal number eight said, “We have played many big matches in recent years but have not managed to solve it optimally all the time. We thought it was good to have a chat about how we avoid making new mistakes.”
Odegaard was the front face in a meeting that was held recently in the Norway camp
The young midfielder continued, “We have played many important matches where we have subsequently come and said that we should do this and that. This time we thought it was okay that we got to air everything in advance. It was not something revolutionary, we really just had a chat.
“It was really about what has happened over several years. At least since I joined the national team, we have not been quite where we should be during big matches. I feel the response after the chat was very good.”
Arsenal spending £30m for Odegaard was already being hailed as a coup due to the potential talent that the Norwegian possesses. However, the board at London Colney will be even more impressed with how the attacking midfielder is developing as a leader, both on and off the pitch.
And that is something the current North London outfit are in short numbers. There is no question that it would benefit the young squad that Mikel Arteta has at his hands.
And who knows that within a few years, Odegaard is the one, leading the Arsenal team for their escapades.