Arsenal star Martin Odegaard says leaving Real Madrid was ‘best decision’ for his career

Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard has revealed his thoughts on leaving Real Madrid in a recent interview. While he is grateful for his time there, he believes he made the ‘best decision’ in opting to leave the club.

Odegaard stressed that he ‘enjoyed’ his time in Madrid and said that it was a ‘great experience’ but felt that he needed to leave to ‘play more and continue growing’.

What did Martin Odegaard say regarding his decision to leave Real Madrid?

In an interview featured in the Daily Mail, Odegaard said: “My time at Madrid was good. It was a positive stage, although perhaps some might think otherwise I learned a lot, I matured a lot and I was able to train with some of the best players in the world. But in the end, leaving was the best decision for me, I wanted to play more and continue growing.

“I played with them and I enjoyed it. Maybe the opportunity came too soon but it was a great experience. I’m happy with the decision I made and how it went. If I hadn’t gone through Madrid I wouldn’t have reached the level I have today.

“Real Madrid is the biggest club in the world and the pressure is noticeable, even if it wasn’t as much as Ronaldo, Beckham and company were there.”

Did Martin Odegaard make the right decision in leaving Real Madrid?

While Odegaard is clearly a world-class talent, he risked being lost in the shuffle during his time at the Bernabeu. Amongst top players such as Luka Modric, Toni Kroos, Marco Asensio and Isco, there was little room for him in the team.

Now, at the age of 24, Odegaard is the centrepiece of an excellent Gunners outfit. He is no longer surplus to requirements at a club that cannot find a regular place in the first team for him - instead, he is now at a club that would struggle in his absence.

As such, it seems that Odegaard certainly made the right call. Despite his belief that Madrid is the biggest club in the world, sometimes, you need to take a step back to reach your intended destination.