Zlatan Ibrahimovic's advice for Martin Odegaard - Grow up and become a man
Outspoken football superstar Zlatan Ibrahimovic has advised Norwegian prodigy Martin Odegaard to ‘grow up and become a man’ if he wants to succeed at Real Madrid. Ibrahimovic recently faced Odegaard’s Norway in an international friendly with Sweden.
After the match, when asked about what was his impression of the 16-year-old by Swedish daily Aftonbladet, Zlatan indicated that it was time for the Real Madrid player to mature as a person. He also believes that Odegaard needs to get away from the overbearing presence of his father and take control of his career.
He said, "It's not easy to say [whether he will fulfil his potential], but he has a father that controls everything completely. First, he must grow up and become a man and then get rid of his father."
He also had words of praise for his performance against Sweden, saying, "He did well, played straightforward and didn't lose many balls. He has a long time to get even better. It's good that he's already playing for his country."
The Paris Saint-German striker might have a point when he says his father controls his career, as part of the agreement when the Norwegian teenager joined Real Madrid was that his father would get a role as a youth coach.
Odegaard has already made his debut for Real Madrid and has been quietly impressive, with the club considering loaning him out next season in order to get him some more experience.