Martin Odegaard needs to prove he’s worthy of being Arsenal captain as he prepares to face club teammate Declan Rice in the World Cup quarter-finals
Martin Odegaard has a point to prove
Coach Martin Odegaard isn’t just trying to get Norway to beat England and reach the World Cup semi-finals. He is also fighting to prove he is worthy of being Arsenal captain. The 27-year-old missed 30 games in all competitions last season and was sidelined seven times with various injuries, bruises and minor injuries.
Over the final three months of the season, Odegaard struggled to shake off a lingering knee problem that he picked up in the midweek draw with Brentford, while team-mates such as Declan Rice and William Saliba put themselves through the wall of pain.
Rice missed just one of last season’s grueling 63-game Premier League title-winning season, at one point taking injections to relieve severe nerve pain in both his lower back and hamstring. He has been substituted many times due to an unbearable feeling when shooting with his foot, and close attention to his condition was required at this World Cup.
Unfortunately, Rice’s selfless sacrifice will have a damning effect on Arsenal. That’s because it’s clear the £105m giant needs some well-earned rest during the off-season. Just 10 days later (July 20), Mikel Arteta’s champions are due to return to pre-season training, although some will attend an optional camp in Marbella next week.
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Somewhat ridiculously, the team’s official return to London Colney comes less than 24 hours after the World Cup final in New Jersey. This only highlights how much rest Rice in particular needs.
He is too stubborn and too important for his own good. And unfortunately, at the end of last season, it was hard to shake the feeling that Odegaard had one eye on Norway’s first major tournament since Euro 2000. There’s a solid argument that he put himself before the team when the team needed him the most.
Odegaard was re-elected as Arsenal captain following a landslide victory in August last year. But if we’re being honest, no player would vote against the long-respected captain.
Martin Odegaard plays against Arsenal teammate Declan Rice (Image: Chris Arjun)
Although he rarely wears the armband, Rice always leads by example and will look to do just that when he competes with club teammate Odegaard in Miami this weekend. “He can do so many things on the pitch,” the latter said of his colleague ahead of their World Cup quarter-final clash at Hard Rock Stadium.
“He can defend, he can attack, he can be physical, he can handle the ball well. He’s a very complete player, so it’ll be a good test for all of us.”
For better or worse, there are elements of doubt surrounding Odegaard’s future at the club. He has two years left on his contract with Arsenal and so far it doesn’t look like negotiations, much less an agreement, on new terms are imminent.
Declan Rice is a leader for both club and country (Image: Eric Verhoeven/Soccrates/Getty Images)
No one would dispute that Odegaard is a great technician, a deft creator and operator of the ball when on song. However, his performances in big matches, especially in the Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain, leave a lot of room for improvement, and in his current form he looks like a completely different player for the Norwegian national team.
Odegaard is a key player for Staare Solbakken’s Vikings and has provided assists in three of their four World Cup appearances. Against England and then against Rice, he will feel even more of a responsibility to deliver results.
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