Martin Odegaard opens up about his Real Madrid exit and claims he was doomed as a foreign player

Martin Odegaard has sensationally hit out at his former club Real Madrid by suggesting he was doomed from the start as a foreign player.

The now-Arsenal captain was snatched up by the Spanish giants after bursting onto the scene with Norwegian side Stromsgodset, and he quickly became the youngest ever player to represent Madrid at 16.

But the Madrid dream never really became a reality and Odegaard, now 24, spent several years out on loan, including at Arsenal, before he was permanently signed by Mikel Arteta in a £30million deal in the summer of 2021.

Odegaard has opened up about his Madrid exit and how he ‘worried about not making mistakes too often’. 

Speaking openly about his torrid time in the Spanish capital, Odegaard told The Players’ Tribune: ‘They were all very kind, and the ones who spoke English — Kroos, Modric, Ronaldo — took extra care of me in the beginning. They gave me advice and helped me a lot.

Odegaard has sensationally hit out at his former club Real Madrid, who he signed for at 16

The now-Arsenal captain claimed that he lost his spark and was not able to grow because he was not Spanish

‘But honestly I don’t think any of them were particularly worried about a 16-year-old from Norway taking their place in the team.’

Odegaard explained that the plan was for him to train with the first team and get regular game time with the B team. 

‘It seemed like a smart plan at the time, but it worked out that I ended up not finding my place with either group,’ he added.

‘With the B team, I wasn’t with them regularly so I didn’t find that connection. In the first team, I was just some kid who came to train. I wasn’t involved in matches. I felt a bit like an outsider. I was stuck in between.

‘I stopped playing with the spark that was typical of my game. I went a bit too safe for a time. I was worrying more about not making mistakes than actually playing my game.

‘My game was always about making a difference. Playing the difficult pass. I can understand why it happened now. I was still a little kid, but I’ve learned that you have to be ruthless. You have to not give a f***. You have to show the real you on the pitch.’

Fast-forward to today and Odegaard is leading his Arsenal side to their first title in 19 years, excelling as one of the best Premier League midfielders.

But the Norway international has had to come through being shipped around different clubs and countries, including Heerenveen, Vitesse and Real Sociedad before briefly returning to Madrid.

Odegaard was eventually signed on a permanent deal by Mikel Arteta in 2021 and he has played a pivotal role in Arsenal’s title-push

Odegaard became Real Madrid’s youngest ever player at 16 but his time at the club came to an end in 2021

‘After a couple of years, I just wasn’t progressing,’ he explained. ‘The press came after me for not immediately living up to the hype. I was an easy target….Maybe If I’d been Spanish, I might have been given a bit more time to grow. 

‘Honestly, I don’t know. In the end, it’s just the nature of the hype machine. There is no in-between in modern football. You’re either the best signing in history, or you’re sh**.’

Odegaard later added that he wanted to make it clear he was not complaining about his time at Real Madrid and insists he learned what it takes to play at the highest level.

‘I learned to be tough and to face challenges. It’s part of who I am now. It’s the reason I’m where I am today,’ he added.

‘I was always thinking about what I needed to do to be the best version of me I could be. That’s why I needed to move on.’