Copy linkFacebookXPinterestEmailShare this article0Join the conversationFollow usAdd us as a preferred source on GoogleNewsletterFour Four TwoGet the FourFourTwo NewsletterThe best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.Become a Member in Seconds Unlock instant access to exclusive member features.Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.You are now subscribedYour newsletter sign-up was successfulWant to add more newsletters?Five times a weekFourFourTwo DailyFantastic football content straight to your inbox! From the latest transfer news, quizzes, videos, features and interviews with the biggest names in the game, plus lots more.Signup +Once a week...And its LIVE!Sign up to our FREE live football newsletter, tracking all of the biggest games available to watch on the device of your choice. Never miss a kick-off!Signup +Join the clubGet full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards.Explore An account already exists for this email address, please log in.Subscribe to our newsletterFor most players, signing for Real Madrid is the stuff of dreams. To do it as a 15-year-old is something else entirely.Back in 2015, a teenage Martin Odegaard did exactly that, as the Spanish giants won the race for one of Europes most sought-after young talents, snapping him up from Stromsgodset in a 4million deal.Any move like this, however, comes with inordinate amounts of hype, scrutiny and expectation, something that Odegaard can now fully appreciate, more than a decade on.You may likeI was really close to choosing Arsenal when I was younger. I was having steak with Arsene Wenger and thought, Is he going to judge me if I eat the fries? Martin Odegaard on almost joining Arsenal as a teenagerThe way he sees football his tactical awareness, his understanding of whats needed to change a game its something Ive never seen before Martin Odegaard on his admiration for Mikel ArtetaTo be captain here is something Im really proud of for this amazing club, this amazing team and this amazing manager Martin Odegaard on wearing the Arsenal armbandOdegaard on his whirlwind move to MadridThe Norwegians first recollection is one of comedy, as the then-teenager suffered a memorably bad hair day.It was very early in the morning when we flew from Norway, Odegaard recalls to FourFourTwo. We had to wake up early, so I just grabbed some clothes from the top of my wardrobe and packed my suitcase. I thought that wed get there, then go to the hotel, have a shower and get changed.Get VIP Arsenal tickets HERE with Seat Unique!Arsenal's premium Club Level tickets offer superb padded seating and access to the lounge two-and-a-half hours pre-match. The package includes four drinks, one food item, and a half-time complimentary drink. Guests also receive a �5 merchandise voucher and a complimentary Museum Tour, ensuring an elevated and comprehensive matchday experience for home supporters.View DealWe arrived and it was really busy straight away, he says, looking back on the day of his medical. We went straight from the airport to the hospital and then on to the training ground it was non-stop.Then suddenly they said, OK, now we go to the press conference. You can see it in that press conference the striped jumper and my hair everywhere! I was just in the moment. I was happy, proud. I didnt really care about anything else around it. That was just how it was. Now I can understand how crazy that was. Going there so young, with all of that attention and pressure. I didnt think about it too much back then.Get FourFourTwo NewsletterThe best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.Odegaard would go to play just 11 first-team games for Madrid, with loan spells at Heerenveen, Vitesse Arnhem and Real Sociedad following, before he would find his new home at Arsenal in 2021.When I signed for Madrid, it wasnt like I was expecting to go out on loan for two years, to go to three different clubs, but thats football, he admits. I didnt play a lot of games for the first team at Real and then with the second team, I dont know, I just felt like I needed to go somewhere to play first-team football in order to grow as a player and a person.The Netherlands was a bit random at the time, but it was a really good step for me. The Dutch league and the clubs I played for, Heerenveen and Vitesse Arnhem, both helped me grow, to take on more responsibility. They give young players trust. For me, that was really important. It was a good decision to go there thats a massive part of who I am today. It helped me grow so much.The Norwegians time at Real Sociedad saw him play a vital role in setting the club on the path to winning the Copa del Rey, with the final taking place the following season due to delays owing to the Covid pandemic.I was supposed to stay at Sociedad for two years, but in the end it was one, he adds. It was Covid time and it wasnt easy to sign new players, so Real Madrid wanted me to go back, be part of the team and fight for my spot.Thats what I tried to do and in the end it didnt work out like that, so I went to Arsenal. Thats just life and football, I dont feel bad about it. You never know whats going to happen and sometimes it turns out a bit different, thats all. It all counts towards what I am today.TOPICSArsenalReal MadridPremier LeagueJoe MewisSocial Links NavigationFor more than a decade, Joe Mewis has worked in football journalism as a reporter and editor. Mewis has had stints at Mirror Football and LeedsLive among others and worked at FourFourTwo throughout Euro 2024, reporting on the tournament. In addition to his journalist work, Mewis is also the author of four football history books that include times on Leeds United and the England national team. Now working as a digital marketing coordinator at Harrogate Town, too, Mewis counts some of his best career moments as being in the iconic Spygate press conference under Marcelo Bielsa and seeing his beloved Leeds lift the Championship trophy during lockdown.With contributions fromGuillem Balague
