"He made a tour all over Europe" - Pep Guardiola recalls first meeting with 'exceptional' Arsenal superstar
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has revealed that he was impressed with Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard when he met him for the first time in December 2014.
Now an Arsenal mainstay, Odegaard was dubbed to become the next big thing in football in his teens. Wanted by almost every European heavyweight, the Norwegian playmaker, along with his father Hans Erik Odegaard, visited many potential suitors in December 2014, including Bayern Munich.
Guardiola, who was in charge of Bayern Munich at the time, met the player briefly and thought that he possessed commendable quality. Speaking ahead of Manchester City’s potential title-deciding clash against the Gunners on Wednesday (April 26), Guardiola said (via the Mirror):
“I remember perfectly; he came with his father for two or three days of training sessions. I needed five minutes to think, 'this player plays good. I think he made a tour all over Europe, training for however many clubs.”
Odegaard signed for Real Madrid Castilla in January 2015 but could not become a regular in the main team. Having played 11 games for Los Blancos, he signed for the North Londoners permanently in July 2021.
Guardiola said that Odegaard is the right man for Mikel Arteta’s side, lauding him for becoming the captain at a young age.
“In the end, Arsenal were attractive to him, an exceptional player, captain at his age in Arsenal in a short time there is because you have to be a special personality, has the strength to be captain. Mikel (Arteta) wouldn’t give him captaincy if he didn’t have the strength to be captain,” Guardiola added.
Odegaard, who has been wearing the armband since the start of the 2022-23 season, has played 99 games for Arteta’s team across competitions. He has scored 21 times and claimed 15 assists.
Kolo Toure chimes in on Martin Odegaard vs Kevin De Bruyne debate ahead of Arsenal’s clash against Manchester City
Kolo Toure, who represented both Arsenal and Manchester City, put his two cents into the Kevin De Bruyne versus Martin Odegaard debate. The Ivorian lauded Odegaard’s leadership and never-say-die attitude but hinted that De Bruyne was in a league of his own. He told The Times:
“De Bruyne is a special talent. Odegaard is a fighter. He’s a captain, and that means people like him in the dressing room and can trust him. At the same time he is tough; he can take the responsibility. But De Bruyne is De Bruyne.”
Odegaard and De Bruyne have emerged as the two best playmakers in the Premier League this season, with the Belgian narrowly beating Odegaard in terms of goal contributions.
While Odegaard has pitched in with 12 goals and seven assists this season, De Bruyne has five goals and 15 assists. The Gunners star has created 13 big chances this season, while De Bruyne leads the pack with a whopping 28.