Rio Ferdinand has suggested that Martin Odegaard is an artist and admitted that he has alleviated any concerns he had when the Norwegian was made the Arsenal captain.
Ferdinand was speaking on his YouTube channel after the Gunners made a real statement with their 4-0 win over Bournemouth at the weekend.
Martin Odegaard played his part in the win. The 24-year-old scored from the penalty spot. And he was involved in a significant moment as Kai Havertz was handed Arsenal’s second penalty of the afternoon.
You would certainly imagine that Odegaard would have had a big say in the German getting the spot-kick as he looked to open his account for the club.
Rio Ferdinand labels Martin Odegaard an artist
Steve Nicol told ESPN at the weekend that it was unprofessional from Arsenal to let Havertz take the penalty. But the potential gamble paid off with Havertz finding the corner and potentially lifting a real weight off his shoulders.
Odegaard has proved to be a brilliant leader. He does not appear to be someone who shouts at his teammates. But he definitely leads by example.
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And after his weekend display, Rio Ferdinand insisted that he has been so impressed by the impact Odegaard has had.
“I love him. I like the way he plays. He’s an artist the way he plays off the left foot as well. Left footers always just look a bit different,” he told his YouTube channel.
“There’s pressure in that as well, being the captain. That’s why I questioned Odegaard. Has he got the personality? Will he be able to deal with all of the pressure that comes with being the captain of a big club like Arsenal? So young as well. But you have to say, since the armband went on him, I think he’s got bigger.”
Arsenal rewarded for £30 million gamble
It does appear that Odegaard has recognised the impact Arsenal has had on his career. He is someone who has been playing first-team football for nearly a decade after being earmarked as a wonderkid.
You could not blame him for deciding to join Real Madrid when the chance presented itself. But it did appear for some time to be the wrong move for him as he looked to realise his potential. And there had to be concerns for some that he would be one of the many players who never get close to living up to expectations.
Arsenal took a gamble bringing him in on loan. And they perhaps took an even bigger risk paying £30 million to sign him permanently.
That risk has paid off in incredible fashion. Odegaard is proving to be a bargain. And there will be real belief that he will prove to be the first Arsenal captain since Patrick Vieira to lift the Premier League trophy.