Ødegaard : from the playground to the pitch

As the son of a former footballer, Martin Ødegaard spent his early years at local Norwegian sports club Drammen Strong and, at the age of 10, joined the youth division at Strømsgodset where he trained with older players. By the age of 15, Ødegaard was playing in the UEFA Champions League and even represented Norway in a friendly against the UAE, making history as Norway's youngest ever national team player. In 2015, Ødegaard caught the eye of Real Madrid where he trained with both the first team and the reserves. In 2021, Ødegaard moved to Arsenal where he quickly became an essential part of the team and was named captain ahead of the 2022-23 season. Discover how this midfielder from Norway balanced full-time education with a burgeoning football career to hone his skills.