There have been ups and downs, and expectations have skyrocketed. And now he’s had to humble himself and go on loan.
Arsenal has stormed to an eight-point lead over Manchester City at the top of the Premier League, and Rio Ferdinand believes one of their stars will be named player of the year.
Rio Ferdinand has named Martin Odegaard Premier League player of the season, assuming Erling Haaland does not rediscover his golden touch.
Odegaard is in his first season as Arsenal’s captain, leading the club to a surprise title victory. The Gunners currently lead second-place Manchester City by eight points, having lost only one game this season.
Their new captain, who has shone in central midfield, has been at the heart of their success. He scored his eighth goal of the season in their win over Tottenham in the North London derby on Sunday.
Because of his performances, the Norwegian is one of the frontrunners to be named player of the season at the end of the season. And Ferdinand is ready to crown the 24-year-old now, having been impressed by his rise from Real Madrid struggler to Arsenal captain.
“Odegaard is insane. What I admire most about Odegaard is his journey. At the age of 16, he was a child superstar, purchased by Real Madrid, and everyone predicted that he would be the next big thing. He might not be the person he is now if that part of his past did not exist “With Five, Ferdinand told Vibe.
“There have been ups and downs, and expectations have skyrocketed. And now he’s had to humble himself and go on loan.
“To go on loan at a lower-level club with pride and ego, you must humble yourself, return, rebuild yourself, and then go to Arsenal, take the captaincy, and run with it.
“I’d go so far as to say he’s my player of the year right now. Don’t get me wrong: Haaland has been fantastic in everything he has done. If Haaland slows down with the goals and Arsenal wins the league, Odegaard will be my player of the year.”
Odegaard will be up against Haaland for the award, with his countryman scoring an incredible 21 goals in just 17 games. While Odegaard shone against Tottenham in Arsenal’s win over the weekend, Haaland struggled to make an impact in City’s loss to Manchester United.
During the 90-minute period, the striker had just one shot on goal as the Red Devils secured a comeback victory. Meanwhile, Odegaard once again impressed his manager, Mikel Arteta, who praised his performance.
“Terrific. I thought he was incredible, especially in the first half “When asked about his captain’s performance, Arsenal manager said.
“He’s really showing a different kind of presence, the way he’s influencing the game, just the feeling, the way he moves, what he transmits on the pitch is different and today to do what he’s done here, it’s a big credit to him.
“This has a big emotional attachment because there is a big history between the two clubs and it means so much for us and our people to win this game. That is an excellent position to be in, so let us enjoy every single moment while remaining focused.”