In an interview with The Telegraph, Martin Odegaard, Arsenal’s club captain, shares his sense of belonging at the club and discusses the team’s aspirations for the future.
Club captain, Martin Odegaard, has opened up about his strong sense of belonging at the north London club in a recent interview after signing his new deal with Arsenal.
![Martin Odegaard interview ‘I needed to settle. Arsenal is my home now’ The Daily Telegraph - Saturday23 Sep 2023By Sam Dean GETTY IMAGES Settled: Club captain Martin Odegaard (above and left) has signed a five-year contract at Arsenal The rain lashed down in north London and pounded every inch of the Emirates Stadium, but hundreds of soaked Arsenal supporters still rushed to the side of the pitch after the final whistle of their victory over PSV on Wednesday night. They do it after every game these days, whatever the weather, because they know Martin Odegaard is heading their way. At the end of each home match, after shaking hands with the opposition, the Arsenal captain sets off on a solo walk around the pitch. When he joined the club, most fans would have left the ground by the time he reached them. Now, thousands hang back, waiting to show their appreciation of the player who best embodies Mikel Arteta’s revolution. It is just a small detail – “for me it is not a big thing”, says Odegaard – but, for the Arsenal supporters, those little touches all contribute to the wider picture. When it comes to the Norwegian, that picture is one of popularity and promise, with the playmaker continuing to lead the way for an Arsenal team who appear to be on a thrilling upward trajectory. Odegaard’s feeling is that, after years of uncertainty at Real Madrid, he has found a home in north London. He is happy at the club, settled in the area (“an easy life”) and excited for what might be achieved by this group of young players. Such is the strength of his belief in the Arsenal project, he has now committed the peak years of his career to it by signing a five-year contract. “An easy decision,” Odegaard says of the deal, which ties him to the Emirates until the age of 29. “I felt connected and at home here since the first day. I needed a place to settle down, to find a home. That is what I did here. At Arsenal, I have always had this special feeling.” Odegaard is the latest leading player to extend his contract at the club. Within the past 12 months, Gabriel Magalhaes, Gabriel Martinelli, William Saliba and Bukayo Saka have all signed long- term deals. The hope is that this group, who are redefining what many thought possible for the modern Arsenal, will continue to develop as one. “It shows what we are doing as a club,” Odegaard says. “People want to be here as part of the project. What we are doing is really special and the players see what the manager wants to do, how the club is progressing, the connection we now have with the fans. It’s a no-brainer for players to be part of that. “All the players want the same thing. They want to stay for a long time and fight for the club and win things together. I am sure we are just going to get better and better.” Odegaard, much like Arteta, makes no attempt to hide from the team’s need to one day convert all of this promise and potential into major silverware. They cannot be the young up-and- comers for ever, and expectations have risen following last season’s title challenge. “It’s a natural thing,” Odegaard says. “I personally enjoy that pressure. No matter the pressure from outside, I will always put more on myself. I think the team all enjoy the pressure. We want to be there, at the top, fighting to win things.” With 15 goals in all competitions last season, and three in seven appearances so far this campaign, Odegaard continues to take his game to new heights under Arteta’s careful guidance. The relationship between coach and captain is strong, and the feeling remains that Odegaard is Arteta’s eyes and ears on the pitch. “He is capable of making you understand football in a different way,” says the 24-year- old, who will aim to continue his impressive start to the season in tomorrow’s north London derby. “He sees so many details you don’t even think about. The way he explains it to you, it makes sense.” This is not to say that Arteta and Odegaard discuss every aspect of the game. Arteta spoke recently about Arsenal using “43 different formations” in the Community Shield, for example, but the players have not all been tasked with seeing football in the same way. “A lot is in his head and I don’t think he is telling us everything he is thinking about,” Odegaard says. “He is good at keeping it short and precise.” Arteta can be a demanding and controlling coach but, for players such as Odegaard, there is still the freedom to make their own decisions. As captain, Odegaard has been encouraged to take that responsibility, as he did when converting the match-winning penalty against Crystal Palace this season. “I just asked Bukayo [the usual penalty taker] if I could take it,” Odegaard says, leaning back in his chair in the plush hospitality section at the Emirates. “He said yeah, if I felt good. It shows the team we are, the different personalities and the leadership within the team. We can decide this on the pitch.” Odegaard is a presentable face for the club, well groomed and well spoken, and is far from the tubthumping captains of previous eras. Leadership comes in different shapes and sizes, though, and Arsenal are not short of vocal players in the dressing room. They lost an important figure when Granit Xhaka departed for Germany, but soon gained a new one in the shape of Declan Rice. “He has been brilliant since the first day,” says Odegaard of Rice. “On the pitch you see his quality, what he brings to the team. The energy, the power. He is a great guy, a funny guy, and also a leader. He was captain at West Ham and, for ‘It is a no-brainer. All the players want to stay for a long time and fight for the club and win things together’ me, it is nice to have someone like him around to help. We can help each other.” Odegaard does not need to scream and shout to make his point. After all, his left foot often does enough talking on its own. His standing in the squad is helped by his status as a Ballon d’Or nominee (alongside Saka) and a former Real prodigy, who joined the Spanish giants at the age of just 16. “In Madrid it was just a bit different,” he says. “I was very young. I was stuck between the first and second teams, then I was moving around on loans here and there. So I never really got the time to settle down.” He has settled now, though, embracing a new city and a new life, and feels ready to take the next step forward with his club. For Arsenal, and for him, that means lifting a trophy. “Of course I am thinking about it,” Odegaard says. “That is the big dream, the big goal, to win things. That is why I have signed, because I believe we can achieve some great things.”](https://dailycannon.com/static/uploads/2023/09/230923-odegaard-telegraph-e1695473745183.png "I found my home at 'special' Arsenal says Martin Odegaard 1")
“In Madrid it was just a bit different,” he adds.
“I was very young. I was stuck between the first and second teams, then I was moving around on loans here and there. So I never really got the time to settle down.”
The Norwegian international, who recently signed a five-year contract with Arsenal, also reflected on the club’s progress and shared his optimism for the future.
“It shows what we are doing as a club,” Odegaard says about the number of contract renewals the club have announced recently.
“People want to be here as part of the project. What we are doing is really special and the players see what the manager wants to do, how the club is progressing, the connection we now have with the fans.
“It’s a no-brainer for players to be part of that.
“All the players want the same thing. They want to stay for a long time and fight for the club and win things together. I am sure we are just going to get better and better,” Odegaard added.
Odegaard spoke highly of new signing Declan Rice. “He has been brilliant since the first day,” he said.
“On the pitch you see his quality, what he brings to the team. The energy, the power. He is a great guy, a funny guy, and also a leader. He was captain at West Ham and, for me, it is nice to have someone like him around to help. We can help each other.”
Despite a promising last season, Odegaard acknowledges the increasing pressure for the team to convert their potential into tangible success.
“It’s a natural thing,” Odegaard says. “I personally enjoy that pressure. No matter the pressure from outside, I will always put more on myself. I think the team all enjoy the pressure.
“We want to be there, at the top, fighting to win things.”
Commenting on the impact of Mikel Arteta, Odegaard revealed his admiration for Arteta’s attention to detail. “He is capable of making you understand football in a different way,” says the 24-year-old.
“He sees so many details you don’t even think about. The way he explains it to you, it makes sense.”
As for the future, Odegaard is clear about his ambitions at the club. “Of course I am thinking about it,” he says about lifting a trophy.
“That is the big dream, the big goal, to win things. That is why I have signed, because I believe we can achieve some great things.”