Martin Odegaard on Arsenal’s Title Win, Injury & Captaincy

BBC Football

Martin Odegaard on Arsenal's title win, injuries and captaincy

In a BBC Sport interview with Kelly Somers, Martin Odegaard reflects on Arsenal's Premier League title win, his injury struggles and captaincy, as well as Norway's World Cup run and the new season. His conclusion is that past setbacks made Arsenal stronger and that they will keep chasing every trophy.

Martin Odegaard catches up with Kelly Somers to reflect on Arsenal's Premier League Glory and Norway’s World Cup campaign, overcoming injury whilst supporting the team off the pitch. Follow more on the BBC Sport app, iPlayer and Sounds. ============= Find us here: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BBCMOTD X: https://x.com/BBCMOTD Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bbcfootball/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bbcsport bbcfootball

Transcript

I'm not going to lie, it was it was tough. It's it's the worst thing, you know, when you can't be on the pitch. I think that's the most frustrating thing for a footballer. All our fans doing the rowing, you know, in the Time Square. We were just loving it. We just said like, "We have to do [music] it tomorrow if we win." After that game, I felt like we were so strong. Everyone just came inside to the dressing room and everyone had the same feeling that we're going to do this. We're going to win it. >> He was a teenage [music] sensation that signed for Real Madrid aged just 16. He is a Premier League title winning captain and since lifting the trophy back in May, he had a scintillating World Cup with Norway and has started the current Premier League season in exactly the same form. Welcome along to the football interview, Martin Odigard. Martin, when I talked to you and I mentioned the last few months and everything that has happened, it must be kind of the stuff that you grow up dreaming of. >> Yeah. No, for sure. I think, you know, growing up, I always wanted to be a footballer. Um, I always watched the Premier League. You know, that was the big dream. Um, Premier League is really big in Norway. So, that was kind of always been my dream. And then, yeah, obviously winning the title here um was amazing. Then going into a World Cup with Norway, which also was a big dream, you know. So, yeah, it's it's unreal. And yeah, just got to enjoy it. >> Tell us mere mortals what it feels like to lift the Premier League trophy cuz obviously it was something that yourself and Arsenal had waited for for some time. >> Yeah, I think that made it just even better. you know, we were fighting for it for such a long time and then obviously finished second a few years there in in a row. Um, but you know, we kept on fighting and um, we always believed, you know, in what we were doing and uh, and it paid off in the end. So, I think all that work and and the journey on the way to to lifting that trophy just made it so much nicer and uh, yeah, to do with our people, you know, the parade and just to see so many people happy is um, unreal feeling. So, yeah, really nice. >> How did you do it? How did you block out the noise? And you've mentioned it there, the fact that there had been a few seasons where you had just fallen short. >> Yeah. No, I think the the lessons you learn on the way, the experience you gain, um obviously people growing older, um getting better, you know, and um as a group, I think all that happened to us made us just a little bit stronger. And then and we took all that, you know, into into the the last season and um I think we used all the experiences in a good way and uh managed to deal with the kind of like the pressure, the noise, whatever you call it. and uh and then got over the line, you know. So, yes. >> Were you aware of it at the time? Because I know at the time footballers always say to me, "No, no, we're not listening to the noise. We don't hear it." >> But it must have almost It's It's hard not to, isn't it? >> Yeah. No, you can't you can't avoid it 100%. I think me personally, I don't see a lot cuz I'm not really so much on social media, but obviously you see it like whenever you go online or you walk past the TV and you know how it is, you always see things and um and you will you will see a little bit of it. But I think it's important also to to to block it out and you know personally I don't like too much to be on social media so it's no need for me to be there. So um but it's a part of being a football you need to deal with like uh that pressure the noise uh expectations and um and that's a part of it and I think we did that really well towards the end of the season and um and it paid off. >> As captain what's your role when the team were going through the ups and downs? How did you keep everyone with the same mentality as you keeping calm? Yeah, I try to stay calm, you know. I think um I think I'm good at staying calm in the moment of of like tension or pressure or whatever. Um and uh to look at it just the way it is and to not get carried away, you know, either too positive or too negative, you know, to to be calm in the moment and really see the situation as it is. And uh I think as a group we did that really well as well. We had some some tough moments, you know, when we lost or whatever um and everyone was speaking like it was crisis, but we were still top of the league, you know. So, >> what moments particularly stand out that were tough that you overcame? >> I remember especially after the Wolves game away. Um, that was a tough moment. Um, and um, and I think people from the outside would probably say when we lost to City, but I didn't feel like that internally. No, I felt like after that game, I felt like we were so strong. Everyone just came inside to the dressing room and everyone had the same feeling that we're going to do this, we're going to win it. So yeah, I remember probably best uh after the Wolves game, that period where we were struggling a little bit. >> How did you lift the team because you're not just one of the players, you're the captain that they would have been looking to you in those moments. >> Yeah. No, as I said, I tried to stay calm. I tried to just remind everyone um of the good things uh things we can do better. And uh obviously it's it's hard when you can't be on the pitch. I was injured for a while, you know, and um that's probably the most frustrating thing when you when you can't be out on the pitch and and do something as well. So, but it's about helping, you know, if you see someone uh feeling a bit down or whatever, then just try to be there for them and and support and do whatever you can from from the outside and yeah, when you're on the pitch, you need to drive the standards. >> Yeah, we have focused on all of the positives last season, but it was also a difficult season for you in so many ways as well. How did you balance having to be this influential captain going for a title when you perhaps couldn't have the influence on the pitch that you wanted? >> Yeah. No, it was hard. Uh I'm not going to lie, it was it was tough. Um it's it's the worst thing, you know, when you can't be on the pitch. I think that's um the most frustrating thing for a footballer. And um and yeah, you just want to be out there and help. Uh and then uh yeah, it was just a lot of like setbacks and a lot of weird injuries and um frustrating moments for me. But um yeah, what can you do? You have to work hard. You have to back the team uh off the pitch, you know, and um try to get back as soon as possible and as strong as possible. And that's what I did. And yeah, in the end, I managed to help the team, you know, towards the end of the season and um and felt good towards the end. So that's good. >> Now you've come out the other side of it and are in the form that you're in. Have you been able to reflect on maybe why the season panned out for you personally like it did? You describe some of the injuries and moments as weird. >> Yeah, I think I don't know. You can always question things you do or whatever, but yeah, I'm a really professional guy. I do everything I can, you know, to take care of my body and sometimes you're just unlucky. Um, and then yeah, obviously when you have an injury, then you're a bit more um exposed, I guess, after to to have it again. So, do >> you think you ever pushed yourself to come back too quickly because you were so desperate to play maybe? >> Yeah. No, for sure. That's that happens, you know, and you want to be back on the pitch and then maybe it was too soon and then but that's that's that's life of a football. You always want to push and uh but um yeah, the good thing is I'm feeling good now. I think I learned a lot from it and um and we won the league. Uh we had an amazing season overall. So um yeah, I'm really happy about it all. >> I can tell you're professional. I can tell you're calm, but you're also human like psychologically during that period when you've got youngsters looking at you and you know you've still got a role to play in terms of helping them. How psychologically did you deal with getting those setbacks and remaining this calm exterior? Cuz that must have been tough even for you. >> Yeah. Yeah. I don't know. I think for sure some moments I could have done better. Uh but um yeah, I tried my best, you know, just to stay positive and and to to do whatever I could, you know, and um yeah, but sometimes it's hard obviously and uh and um and I felt that as well, but um yeah, I just tried my best. >> Who got you through it? Who helped you in those moments? I think obviously the the people at the club is is amazing and it's good to feel that support, but definitely, you know, my my family at home. Um I think that's that's a good thing, you know, when you come home and you just forget about everything and then it's easier to disconnect, you know, when uh when you have family, you have a kid at home, uh then yeah, you got to switch off. So, um so that was good. >> We've spoken there about your role as captain and how you still tried to have an influence even when you couldn't play. There's a lot of leaders in this group at Arsenal as well, isn't there? Does that help you? How does the dynamic work in terms of you've got a leadership group, haven't you? >> Yeah. No, for sure. I think um yeah, we have a leadership group, you know, a lot of different leaders, different personalities. Um I think we all have different kind of leadership qualities. So, I think we we're really strong as a team in that way. And uh obviously when I was out, there was other people stepping in and uh taking more responsibility. And then yeah, we all just help each other and everyone, you know, want the best for for each other. So that's a good thing. Were >> you still in the dressing room and around it quite a lot when you were injured as captain? >> Yeah, obviously the the away games. I didn't go to them, but um yeah, the home games and every single day in training, all the meetings and and all that, you know, I was there. So >> making sure they realized you're still setting the standard. >> I think that's the same for everyone. Everyone who's injured, they want to be there. They want to be a part of it and yeah, they want to, you know, help as much as they can. So it's good to see. >> What type of leader are you then? You mentioned that you've all got different qualities. What are yours? probably someone who leads more by example. Um but yeah, always try to do whatever I feel is is best for the team. Um yeah, try to set the the standards every day in every day in training and in the games, you know, and uh and yeah, show the way. Um work hard, you know, and then yeah, to back my teammates, uh be there for them whenever they need me to. And um that's what I try to do. >> Are you vocal? >> Yeah, I think I can be. Um, I wouldn't say I'm the one who when who screams the loudest, but um, yeah, I say whatever I feel when when when I want to, you know, and um, yeah, I think we're all different, but of course I can speak as well. >> Who are the shoutters? Are there any particular kind of loud ones that do that? >> Yeah, I would say probably Declan, um, Big Gabby. They're bit more like um, the shouting guys, you know, especially on the pitch. So, um, but it's good to have different qualities, you know. So, we've gone from the highs and the difficulties of last season, but it all ended in the best possible way. When you were going through those struggles and that tough time, how much was the World Cup another focus for you to get you through those tough times? >> Yeah, obviously, you know, it's coming. Um, >> but I think, you know, when you're fighting for the league, you can't really think about anything else. Um, so my main focus was always just like when can I be back? when can I help the team, you know, like always looking at the schedule like um what game will I be back for, you know, and then and then tried to push that and push that, you know. So, um but obviously having the World Cup as well um it's been a dream since I was uh baby. So, um so yeah, that was a massive thing as well, but [snorts] I think you just have to stay in the moment. So, I couldn't really uh think about anything else than Yeah. trying to win that league and obviously the Champions League as well. >> Did it completely take over your life winning the league? It sounds like it. Yeah. No, but I think it does. Um I think it's uh it's very busy this schedule, you know. So, um so yeah, you play every three days basically the the whole season. You fight for the biggest trophies and you're living your dream. So, I think you put everything into it and um yeah, that's what it's like. >> What was the World Cup like then? Because from an outsiders point of view, it couldn't really have gone much better. Yeah, we could have beat could have beaten in England, but um >> in terms of where you set out. >> Yeah. No, for sure. It was uh it was unbelievable and I don't think anyone um would probably expect us to do like we to perform like we did. Um but I feel like we had the belief, you know, in the team um that we could do something special, but I think if it was just so much better than than we thought, you know, and uh the goal was probably to get out of the group. Um and then we did that and then we obviously we went through a few more rounds there. So yeah, it was was incredible. >> You've said that so casually as you said so much so casually in this interview. You didn't just go through rounds like the caliber of team that you beat. >> I mean, it wasn't bad, Martin. >> Yeah. Yeah. No, it was it was unbelievable. I think yeah, as a Norwegian football, you know, for national team, I think, yeah, we have never experienced anything like it. Um, yeah, first of all, first of all, the games and the performance, but also like everything around it to see the whole country going crazy for us. The streets was yeah, full every time we played. Um, it was like the national day, you know, the country every time we played. So, I think just everything was um so much better than we all expected. And uh yeah, it was was a joke. >> Did you have to block out social media during that time as well? Because I imagine you you and Erling particularly as like the poster boys of the national team >> and there was so much excitement. You must have been getting >> really I think we were just loving it, you know, like we were watching um all all our fans doing the rowing, you know, in Time Square before we played uh was before we played Sagal. I think we were watching it the night before, you know, having dinner and watching it and we just said like we have to do it tomorrow if we win. So yeah, we wanted to see it and we wanted to experience everything, you know, and um our fans, our supporters was a big part of it and uh so yeah, we were we're looking at everything and um just taking it all in, you know, >> and you mentioned you could have beaten England. I mean, you couldn't really have done much more in terms of you pushed them all the way, didn't you? Have you reflected much upon that game? >> Yeah, it was a tight game. Um I think it could have gone our way uh if we were a bit more lucky. I think uh it's small margins, you know. I think we did everything we could and maybe we could have been a little bit sharper, you know, in a few situations, especially a few counterattacks, but it's a good team. We played against top quality players that can win the game in any moment, you know. So, um it was it was frustrating to lose in in the way we did, but um same time we we gave it all. >> What was it like going back to Norway after? >> It was um it was unreal. Um yeah, we flew home. Obviously people were a little bit disappointed going out the way we did. Uh but then coming back home and just seeing everyone in the streets, you know, celebrating our performance and and just to see what we did to to the country, you know, not just like making people happy about winning a few games, but just like to see everyone getting together, you know. >> Yeah. Never seen nowhere like it. So, um that was that was special. Did it mean even more to you? Because there's been such expectation on you from literally when you were a teenager. Everyone in Norway has been talking about you, haven't they? Like you were the one that everyone was hanging their hopes on. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. No, for sure. Um I think that's, you know, ever since I started playing, I had massive expectations. um I came through and it was this wonder kid talk and and then obviously in Norway um we haven't been in a tournament since 98 2000 so it was a lot of you know pressure on on finally doing it and then yeah we had to wait for a while but I think it was worth the wait and uh and obviously felt nice for me personally as well to to finally be able to go there as a captain and um yeah to make the the country proud. There's a lot of young exciting teenagers in the Premier League at the moment. Can you use your experience to help Max Dman kind of keep level-headed and hopefully have a career like you? >> Yeah. Um, I will try, you know, to to give him whatever advice I can and and to help him. He's unbelievable. Um, the talent is so obvious. I think everyone can see it and uh I don't want to put too much pressure on him, you know, but um yeah, he's a special special player and uh we're going to take good care of him and and help him and um and I'm sure we're going to have uh yeah, special special player. It's already a special player, but um yeah, he will be unbelievable. >> Do you see that as part of your responsibility as captain to kind of guide him and you've got firsthand experience of what he's going through as well? >> Yeah, I think everyone feel that way. you know, he's a young kid and uh everyone can see the talent and uh we know what the football world can be like. So, I think yeah, not just me, but everyone is is taking care of him and um and that's good to see. >> Bringing it back to the here and now then, how do you feel the narrative has changed around Arsenal this season because you've gone from the ones chasing and now everyone's chasing you? >> Yeah, but we don't feel it that way to be honest. We feel like no, we feel like we want to do it again. So, um, we feel like we're chasing the title again, you know, so we're attacking the title and that's the mindset that we want to do it again. Um, last year was unbelievable, but now it's a new season and we want to do it again. So, it's not much change. Um, we want to do it again and that's mindset. >> Do you really want to do it again as well and be able to be I don't want to say ever present. I don't want to put too much expectation on you, but do you want to be able to show look I can lead us to our second title and I can be there a bit more this time? >> Yeah, of course. Um but as I said it's it's the same you know we want to win it again and I think of course I feel that way but I think every person uh even the ones who played every single game last year they feel that way. So uh I think that's just the mindset of everyone. >> Is this the best version of Mo Martin Odigard that we've seen for some years would you say at the moment? >> Yeah it could be. It could be. Um feel good now. um feel strong, you know, I feel yeah, feel good and playing well and um yeah, happy. >> And I'm guessing the target this season isn't just one trophy because you came so close to winning more than one last year, didn't you? >> Yeah. Yeah, for sure. I think uh we won them all. So, um that's the mindset and we're going to fight for all of them. Um obviously Champs League was frustrating one last year with uh going to the final and then losing in in the way we did penalties is is never easy. So yeah, for sure we're going to go for all of them. >> Tell me something, Mart