Martin Ødegaard discussion

Martin Odegaard spoke to the media in the Ciudad Real Madrid press room. Accompanied by director of institutional relations Emilio Butragueño, the Whites player could not hide his delight as he looked ahead to this new chapter in his career: "It's an honour and a dream come true. The reason I chose Real Madrid is because this team has the best conditions, both in sporting terms to develop as a player, and off the field to develop as a person. It's the best option for me. For me it's incredible I'm ready for a team like this one."

"My goal is to become the best player possible. It isn't important if I play in the first or second team. It's a major advantage having a second team of a really high level and with a coach who was one of the best players in the world, and it was also important in my decision. It'll be a combination. I'm going to train with the first team and the second team. If Ancelotti wants to use me in the first team I'll be delighted and, if not, I'll also be delighted to be playing for Castilla."

Characteristics as a footballer
"I'm a player who likes to have the ball, to combine and to keep it. I had a minor issue with my foot, but now I'm ready. I'm fit to train."
"I've been made to feel really welcome here in Madrid and I feel at home".
"I met the Real Madrid players and we had a chat. They're great guys and they're incredible. I prefer that what we said to each other during our chats remain between us. They're all top-class players and it's very difficult to choose one, but Cristiano Ronaldo is the best player in the world at the moment. There's also Bale, Isco... There are a lot. Between Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi, I prefer Cristiano Ronaldo."

His experience over the past year

"It has been incredible and better than could have been expected. Everything has happened really fast. And it's not a bad start to this year, either. I'm really happy. It's a dream come true and being able to train at this club is very exciting. I'm really excited and I can't wait to get started."

Feeling pressure
"I don't feel pressure. Playing for Real Madrid is very different to playing for my previous team. I'll try to enjoy this dream to the full. I've trained a lot. My father has been very important for me. Training with him is what has allowed me to make it here."

Learning Spanish
"I studied some Spanish at school in Norway, but I can't speak it very well."

Butragueño introduced the player to the media
"It's an honour to welcome Odegaard. He is a player with extraordinary talent and we have high hopes for him. We're going to do everything we can to ensure both you and your family are very happy in Madrid and that you can develop the fabulous talent you have as a player. You have lots of success ahead of you and I wish you the best for the chapter in your life that you are starting today. Best of luck."

"He is going to train with the first team and with Castilla, and he will play for Castilla until the end of the season. He will do the pre-season with the first team and from there we'll make decisions."

"His father is going to join the club's coaching structure in the youth teams."

"What's most important is that Martin is here and we're very excited about his future. We want his extraordinary talent to develop here. That's what's most important to us."

Kid said all the right things haha
Bit disappointed he'll be playing for Castilla, but i'm sure he'll make his first team debut and become the youngest Madrid player of all time. A record that belongs to Jose Rodriguez with 17 years & 200-something days

Disappointed? The guy just turned 16 ffs.

He's just excited man.

i don't think there should be any disappointment, there was no way dude was walking into the first team. he's 16 and him being put in the first team would mean someone getting docked some minutes. castilla is the best thing for the guy right now, if he can't cut it there in a couple of years, say 3/4 years, then he should prepare for loan spells with the likes of getafe. castilla isn't so bad, he gets to learn from zidane. imo nothing significant about the signing with relation to the first team.

i hope he does well and grows into our philosophy and culture, but the term 'potential' can be dangerous, just ask guti

I was reading some articles on Odegaard and I came across this.

http://www.espnfc.com/story/2179343/real-madrid-complete-deal-for-16-year-old-ajax-starlet-mink-peeters

Mink Peeters.

Does anyone have a brief on him?

@Cyborg, no idea but if its the right Peeters I'm thinking of he hit 84 in my Orlando Pirates FIFA 15 save

I've always believed if you play with the best, you'll become the best.
I just hope he doesn't get lost in Castilla. I can't remember a single non-Spanish player that got called up, let alone succeeded (Cheryshev?)

Its strange with all these signings for the youth team:
-Odegaard
-Ascensio
-Peeters

Looks like Florentino is preparing for a golden generation.

Everyone seems to be under the impression that it's only the club president/board that pulls the strings, in regard to whether a young prospect succeeds at the club, or not. Obviously, if the coach thinks that the player is good enough, it's very unlikely that the player will leave or get pushed out.

A recent goal.com article on Ødegaard mentioned Pedro Leon and Sergio Canales as two, relatively young, up and comers who failed to shine for the first team in recent time.

As far as I remember, Pedro Leon performed up to par during the few chances that he was given, acting as a super-sub and being decisive in the second-leg Champions League match against AC Milan. It was Mourinho who suddenly decided to leave him out in the cold, after one of Pedro's friends had allegedly told the press about how he had been boasting that he had already secured a spot in the starting XI. Mourinho never gave him another chance, even though he had seemingly impressed the coach, up until that point in time.

Canales, like Illaramendi, both performed consistently average for the most part, in my opinion, so I'm not surprised that they didn't manage to impress their coaches enough to cement their place in the team. I think a lot of people on here have been quite merciful when it comes to rating the performances of these two particular players. Granted, Canales first and last season at the club was hampered by injuries, but he never really shone on the few occasions when he was on the field. I remember that quite a few people on here were impressed by Canales' vision and range of passing, but his overall product was very ineffective.

The same coach, Mourinho, was the one who had faith in Varane - a player who's proven to be reliable and effective when given the chance to play, not to mention being a hard-working type of player. Obviously, if you're good enough and have the right attitude, you'll pull through. Varane is exactly that type of player. I don't think the club, and Perez' philosophy has been the main problem in regard to how young players have failed to succeed at the club in recent time. It's just that they haven't been good enough.

In my opinion, Ødegaard has the qualities and the work rate to succeed at this club. He's got vision far beyond his years, and a ball control that you rarely see in a player of any age. He's quite puny, but that's something that can, and probably will change over time. He's used to playing in a more slow-paced, physical league, so I think his main challenge will be to adapt to the pace of Spanish football. I assume that's something he'll get used to over time.

Martin Odegaard: All about Real Madrid's Norwegian wonderkid



To fully grasp Martin Odegaard's age, consider the fact that he wasn't alive the last time Norway featured in a World Cup. Born little more than 16 years ago in Drammen, a small city southwest of Oslo, he was five months too late to be alive for his nation's run to the last 16 of France 98, though father Hans Erik certainly was. A midfielder for Stromsgodset between 1993 and 2003, Hans Erik is now better known as the man who took young Martin on a very public road show of Europe's top clubs throughout 2014, finally settling on the biggest of them all -- Real Madrid.

Martin's own career started at the same club where dad made his name, and the story reads more like fantasy than reality. His unofficial senior debut for Stromsgodset came when he was 13 years old. Just as any child would be, he was nervous, struggling to sleep the night before when Ronny Deila told him he would play. Stromsgodset lost 5-2 to Mjondalen, though one of Martin's through-balls led to a penalty for his side. Dad Hans Erik had a ringside view: he was Mjondalen's assistant coach.

Martin became the youngest-ever player to participate in a senior game for Stromsgodset, and the records began to tumble thereafter. In April 2014 he made his official debut, coming on for the last 20 minutes in a Tippeligaen match with Aalesund and setting a new age record for the league at 15 years and 118 days old. Dribbling through the Aalesund defence, he assisted Thomas Sorum for the second goal of a 2-0 win. Unsurprisingly, team members and coaches began to speak of him as a unique talent in Norwegian football.

He was still on an amateur contract at that time. The professional deal followed in May, with offers from agents to take him abroad rejected. That same month he scored his first Tippeligaen goal, as 6,427 spectators watched him tuck away the fourth in a 4-1 win over Sarpsborg. Three months later he travelled with the senior Norway national team, gaining a first cap in a 0-0 draw with the United Arab Emirates before he had even made his under-21 debut (that followed in September). In October, he was back with the seniors for an official fixture, turning out in a 2-1 Euro 2016 qualifying win over Bulgaria. Another age record: at 15 years and 300 days old, he is the youngest footballer to participate in a European Championship qualifier.

The end of the year was marked by a tour of Europe's elite. Real Madrid were on the itinerary but in the month of December he also trained with Liverpool and Bayern Munich. Old manager Deila had initially hoped to tempt him with a more sober move to Celtic, where he now manages, but the gleam of 10 Champions League trophies is a difficult one to ignore. In the early hours of Jan. 22, Madrid confirmed they had signed the 16-year-old, a private jet flying him to the Spanish capital from Rygge for his presentation later that day. His time in the Norwegian league lasted an astoundingly short 23 games.

Style

There is one kind of player Madrid love more than any other, and Odegaard fits the bill. A footballer made for the YouTube generation, capable of producing feints, nutmegs, flicks and eye-catching passes in abundance. In Norway he is already widely considered the best footballer to watch in the league, someone whose style is atypical of the nation and whose inventiveness is more fitting of South America than Scandinavia.

Given he's still a schoolkid, the natural course of events would be for superiors to muscle him out of games, but Odegaard's brain quite often overcomes brawn. Players twice his age have been made to look foolish by the way he uses his body to suggest one kind of movement before delivering the exact opposite. His reputation for being a focused young man with exceptionally lofty ambitions suggest he has the right mental assets to make the grade at the elite, though time will tell.

Major strengths

- Dribbling
- Decision-making
- Acceleration
- Mental strength

Major weaknesses

- Requires physical development
- Questions over defensive responsibility

Assessment breakdown

Dribbling: Aside from the records, this is the main reason the youngster is already a household name in Norway. Shields the ball well and moves it quickly in tight spaces. Has a varied arsenal of resources to call upon in order to wriggle out of pressure. Hard to predict.

Finishing: Has the technical ability and intelligence to become a regular scorer, but unsurprisingly for a 15-year-old, there is room for improvement. Most encouragingly, has a habit of recovering quickly when he misses big chances.

Passing: Has a natural ability to spot a killer ball and doesn't appear to suffer from the selfishness that can hinder other exceptionally talented youngsters. Just how effective he really is in this area will become clearer in the more tactically disciplined world of Spanish football.

Defending: At Stromsgodset, Odegaard was largely freed of defensive responsibility in order to focus his energy on the attack. A harsh learning curve awaits in Madrid.

First touch: Exceptional. Already tried to play one-touch football in Norway. Should have a ball taking part in rondo training with his new teammates.

Application: There is more than luck behind his rapid rise. Beyond obligatory training has put in countless hours of extra work in order to improve his game.

What the experts say

ESPN FC's Rory Smith: "Odegaard may seem an overnight sensation, but there has been hype around him -- in Drammen, anyway -- since he was six, some nine years ago. Those who have watched him say that he is already his team's creative hub; everything Stromsgodset do flows through him."

Thore Haugstad on Twitter wrote:Quick note to those anticipating the next Adu: Ødegaard is stupdendously level-headed. His maturity is almost as impressive as his ability.

Conclusion

Until now Odegaard has batted away challenges with apparent effortlessness, but at the root of the records and exponentially growing fame lies hard work and sacrifice. More than his natural ability, that work ethic will be crucial now as he strives to adapt to the tactical demands of a new footballing culture.

If he plays with Real Madrid Castilla in the Segunda B as expected, then it could be something of an eye-opener. Far from glamorous, the Spanish third division is an often-miserable league with plenty of bitter players who won't take kindly to being outdone by a 16-year-old. Though he will already have had something of a target on his head in Norway, the famous white shirt has a habit of bringing out the worst in opponents.

What happens in the summer will be huge. Many have scoffed at Odegaard's decision to join Madrid, but if Castilla get promoted back to the Liga Adelante, then a year or two in the second tier could be the ideal preparation for the first team. Dani Carvajal, Alvaro Morata and Denis Cheryshev are all playing regularly in some of the best leagues in the world after graduating from Castilla in recent years, so Madrid may not have been as risky a pick as some suggest. The ball is in Odegaard's court.

Source: http://www.espnfc.com/blog/scouts-notebook/78/post/2258911/martin-odegaard-all-about-real-madrids-norwegian-wonderkid

adapt to the spanish league? his first step and the best thing for him to do is to learn the language and develop with the castilla. he shouldn't play, feature or even train with the first team until he earns it at youth level. Unless of course, in the interest of fairness and equality we start rotating castilla and youth team players to have little training sessions and scrimmages with the first team.

Ødegaard's move is a long term investment, nothing more imo. if he shines at the lower levels then he can work his way up, rather than if he maintained his form in norway and we end up signing him for multiple millions of dollars in 5-6 years. we already have coentrao, arbeloa (who is garbage by the way), varane, chicharito, jese, khedira, illara all on the bench expecting to get minutes to prove their worth, Ødegaard taking up their minutes would be foolish, and not getting a chance to play could hamper his growth and confidence. he will get the chance to play with castilla and it will be up to him to prove himself there, nothing to get excited about, let the guy work his way up...."hype" hurts more youngsters in madrid than anything else

Meant to quote *

He's reportedly on £80000/week.
When you're offering that kind of money for a 16 year old, I think he'll be seeing first team action sooner rather than later, whether he's ready or not.

Physical development for a 16 year old. Sorry, but that's some strong bs. He's almost 5'10 at 16.

FennecFox7 wrote:Physical development for a 16 year old. Sorry, but that's some strong bs. He's almost 5'10 at 16.

I'm not sure what you mean. Height does not necessarily equal strong physique You may think it's "strong bs", but he was considered puny in the Norwegian league, and he's considered puny by just about everyone else too. His height won't change that.

5'10 is tiny for a scandinavian. He'll probably become 6'0 atleast in the next few years I'd reckon.

But is he really 5'10 ? He looks more like 5'8

I'm kind of hoping he won't grow much taller over the next few years, because he's so good at bodyfeints and they are a large part of his playing style. It's going to be harder for him to do them effectively if he grows well above 6'0. It's hard to predict height growth, though. I was pretty much the same height as my childhood friends when we all graduated from high school, and they're all 5-10cm taller than me today.

I was atleast 10 cms taller than my friends in 8th grade (14 yo).
Was around 6'3. But a lot start their growth spurt around 16-17. Hope he stays tiny though.

Valkyrja wrote:But is he really 5'10 ? He looks more like 5'8

He looked really tiny compared to everyone else when I watched him play about a year ago, but that might be largely due to his age. I'm guessing he's closer to 5'8 than 5'10. His parents are both pretty short, so it makes sense that he's relatively short for his age.

5'8 is bang on average

181cm is the average for Scandinavian men. 5'8 is a good height for footballers though.

Is it only 181cm? I wonder how much the sami people are affecting that average. They all seem to be in the 155-170cm range.

Thimmy wrote:Is it only 181cm? I wonder how much the sami people are affecting that average. They all seem to be in the 155-170cm range.

Well I'm 190, and in my class of 9 men, there are 6 of 190 and above and 3 at around 170 Sami people? what are those

Freeza wrote:

Thimmy wrote:Is it only 181cm? I wonder how much the sami people are affecting that average. They all seem to be in the 155-170cm range.

Well I'm 190, and in my class of 9 men, there are 6 of 190 and above and 3 at around 170 Sami people? what are those

Yeah, I'm only 184. I have 5 close childhood friends who are all 190-200cm.

Haha.. the sami people... I don't want to say anything offensive about them, but they're the indigenous people who live up in the far northern parts of Sweden and Norway. They have their own language, but they have to learn Swedish or Norwegian in school. No one knows exactly how they arrived there, but I've read that they most likely emigrated from Asia several centuries ago. They're typically short, have black hair and brown eyes. I'm just gonna stop there, because I might say something that may sound offensive or ignorant, although I don't mean to offend anyone.