Not long after he joined Arsenal on loan from Real Madrid, Martin Odegaard revealed he was a long-term admirer of ex-Gunner Cesc Fabregas.
“I liked his ideas, the way he sees football and also the way he is,” said the Norwegian.
Since then, Odegaard has followed in his idol’s footsteps in more ways than one; he’s both a permanent fixture at Emirates Stadium pulling the strings in the centre of midfield and the Gunners’ captain.
What’s more, with Fabregas undertaking his coaching badges at Hale End and London Colney, the two have been able to get to know each other recently.
While Odegaard certainly isn’t short of people who can give him advice on wearing the Arsenal armband – Academy manager Per Mertesacker and boss Mikel Arteta both wore it during Arsene Wenger’s tenure – it sounds as though the topic may have come up in his chats with Fabregas.
“At the club we have Mikel, who has been captain, Per Mertesacker as well. I met Cesc Fabregas the other day. So I speak to some of them, but the main thing for me is to do it my way,” he told ESPN.
“I want it to be my way and real and that’s been important for me: to do it how I want to do it.
“Of course, I seek advice where I can but I want to be myself and to do what I feel like is the right thing at the right times. [I talked with Fabregas about] a little bit of everything really. It was the first time I’d met him so just a normal chat.
“I may not be the most vocal guy or shouting but I’m always looking for the best for the team. On the pitch, I’m really living the game. I think I’m quite good at seeing tactical things on the pitch and I just try to do the best things for the team always.”
Odegaard also reaffirmed that he feels very at home at Arsenal after repeated loan moves during his time on the books at the Bernabeu.
I’m very happy, I feel like I’ve finally settled down in a club,” he said.
“[I’m] just enjoying my football, enjoying being together with the whole team. I don’t think I expected to be captain. It’s gone very quick, very well.
“I had a good feeling when I came here, I felt it straight away, even before I came here I had this good feeling about the club. And when I came here I felt at home from the first day.”
Great if Martin is our beloved captain for a long time, unlike Cesc, who was much loved until he left. Given the youth of our team I’m sure we can improve further, which is quite a feat given where we are atm.
With all due respect, I don’t feel we need to worry about MØ’s Strømsgodset DNA.
Haha
Don’t underestimate viking dna though
With all respect, cesc had to lead the worst arsenal side in a generation, while Martin’s got a team in an upward spiral, all talented and all hungry.
When Cesc left we had RVP, Arshavin, Arteta in his prime, Koscielny, Sagna, Mertesacker, Walcott, pre-injury Jack Wilshere I believe, Benayoun who had a nice season for us on loan, Song who I didn’t like but was good enough for Barceona to buy later, and Ramsey and Ox as promising youngsters. Hardly the worst Arsenal side in a generation. A couple years earlier and in the last two or so Wenger years we were much worse. If it wasn’t for Cesc’s DNA leading to RVP also quitting on us we would’ve had a good chance of seeing Arsene’s dream through.
“I think I’m quite good at seeing tactical things on the pitch.”
Yeah, not too bad.
Indeed, one might go so far as to say quite decent.
Wouldn’t even be bothered if we came up short on all fronts. The way this team carries itself is enough progress for now. IN Saying that iv no doubt we are winning the league no matter what the score is no matter how bad it looks you just believe in them to do it and they never let you down.
This season has been great fun. It’d be nice to get the trophy at the end but I won’t be too gutted if we don’t.
Main thing is to be up there competing
People not giving enough credit to the manager and team. I keep hearing that it’s this season or nothing for Arsenal, because the usual suspects and Newcastle will be stronger next season. Well I disagree, didn’t everybody say that about this season?
Also, do people think this team with all it’s potential won’t get better too, and that’s not even thinking about new signings to come
If money was the only factor Man U would have been dominating the league for the last 10 years instead of being shit.
Seems likely we are going to get better and better. Already pretty damn strong.
What a treasure.
WOW how lucky we are to have MÖ as our player and captain. He is only 24 isn´t he and has his best 4 or 5 years in front of him and hopefully will stay even longer and end as a club legend. Looking VERY much forward to coming years.
GO ARSENAL GO !!!!
Cesc, I adored him when he pulled the string for us..but the way he left, he was never a gooner for me..
Still love him and he’ll always been a gooner for me. Not his fault he was made to play next to denilson and song. He might as well have been asked to play next to me. And I’m very unathletic and shit.
Both Denilson and Song sacrificed aspects of their game in order to provide a platform to allow Fabregas to look good. They don’t deserve a disrespectful comment like that.
They sacrificed aspects of our season.
For me, Cesc will always be THE world class player we’ve had since the invincibles, and I’ll always have respect for what he did in an Arsenal shirt and for him as a person.
He left, admitted he shouldn’t have done and he wanted to come back.
He still loves the club, unlike the rat RVP. The stick he gets from gooners is unfair, imo
Fabregas scored against us for Chelsea and celebrated by kissing the Chelsea badge.
Faked being hurt to have our players sent off and celebrated with the cunt, Costa like they were best pals after the Brazilian’s excesses against us.
Do you still love him?
So, he kissed the badge of the club he played for, and tried to win a match for the club he played for?
What a crime
I’ve seen other players score against clubs where they are loved and put their hands up. The lot of you give Adebayo stick here, but his move away from Arsenal was less acrimonious than Cesc’s. The infamous celebration only came after fans of our club were calling him names all game, and some even said distasteful things about his mum. I can understand Adebayor celebrating like that. Cesc kissing the Chelsea badge without provocation? That’s not forgivable. I’m a young fan, so, I grew with Cesc, Rosicky, and Nasri. He was my favorite player until he left. I didn’t berate… Read more »
I agree with TB. Kissing the Ch*lski badge does make my stomach turn but reality is these are pros. Loyalties are divided in the professional world. Any one of us would piss some fans off at some pint if we were in the same shoes.
You shall lead us to many titles, Odegaard.
In Ode we trust
It’s astonishing the amount of ex-Arsenal players that are associated with the club in some form or capacity. Over the past few years club has really taken an effort to reconnect with fan base and ex-players. Now with Wenger also back (hopefully a statue soon), just good vibes all around!
L.E.G.E.N.D.
I just saw that the referee tonight will be the incredibly annoying Antonio Mateu Lahoz–the referee in the Argentina v Netherlands World Cup match. I don’t think that cuts one way or the other in terms of the outcome (he’s weird, not biased), but we have a couple of players who would miss the next match if they receive a yellow card. He gave the Dutch and Argentine players 18, I believe.
Good lad, you’re destined for the greater good.
Find your path young one. Make your own destiny. Own it.