Having joined Real Madrid as a 16-year-old, Martin Odegaard is now on his second-loan spell away from the club as he continues to make an impression for Dutch Eredivisie side Vitesse.
Now 19, the prodigy struck a delightful free-kick goal for his side over the weekend in the win over Utrecht to open his account in the Eredivisie. It is the second load spell for the Norwegian attacker who spent 18 months at Heerenveen previously.
Having made 11 appearances across all competitions for Leonid Slutsky’s men, Odegaard remains determined to make it big at Real Madrid one day.
“I was hoping to have a place in Madrid,” the teenager told Voetbal International.
“I trained all summer and played a few minutes, but in the end the club and I decided that the best option for me was to play elsewhere,” he added.
Despite not quite making the desired impact he would have wanted at the Spanish capital, Odegaard is convinced that he can establish a permanent place in the Los Blancos squad in the future.
“You have to be modest,” he stated.
Odegaard joined Vitesse on loan in the summer.
“How many 19-year-olds are in the Madrid team?
“The road is long and I have confidence in myself and I know I have to work hard, learn in each game and put minutes together. My final goal is clear, to play for the club and renewing my contract is a gesture that I take confidence from.”
The highly-rated Norwegian believes he is at the perfect place right now to continue his overall development.
“I’m satisfied, I’m finding my way here. I’m only 19 and I want to understand better what the team and the coach want,” said Odegaard.
“I think I’m in the perfect place to take that next step.”
