Real Madrid starlet Martin Ødegaard still holds aspirations of becoming a success at the club despite being sent out on loan again this season.
Ødegaard, 19, is currently enduring a season-long loan with Dutch outfit Vitesse where he has so far made 11 appearances, scoring twice and assisting once.
This is the Norwegian’s second consecutive loan spell in the Eredivisie having already plied his trade with SC Heerenveen in the previous two campaigns.
In January 2015, Ødegaard hit the headlines after signing for the Spanish giants from Stromsgodset as a diminutive 16-year-old sensation, though he was unable to break into Zinedine Zidane’s starting XI and subsequently fell out of the limelight.
However, he has been a regular starter at the GelreDome this season and he is currently in the Norway squad for their upcoming Uefa Nations League matches, and Ødegaard credits his move to Vitesse as the catalyst for his resurgence.
“I am satisfied, I’m finding my way more and more here [at Vitesse],” he told Voetbal International. “Recently, I finally scored, against Heracles. With that, there was a burden lifted off my shoulders. One of my goals is to get better statistics in goals and assists.
“I have to play and learn as much as possible. Of course, I hoped that I would have a place in Real’s team. I was training all summer long and got some minutes in the first team. At the end of the summer, the club and I decided that it would be better for me to play elsewhere. That would be the best choice for my own development. Then you are looking for the best conditions for yourself. After the conversation with this coach [Leonid Slutsky], I knew it would be Arnhem.”
“You have to be modest and keep your goal in mind. How many 19-year-olds play in the first team of Madrid? The road is long and I am convinced of myself.
“Work hard, learn more in every game and make more minutes. My goal is clear: I want to play for Real Madrid. I do everything for that. My contract has already been renewed. I take that as a sign of trust. Vitesse is absolutely no step back, it is a step forward towards the top.”
Norway face UEFA Nations League matches against Slovenia on Friday night and Cyprus on Monday evening, with both fixtures away from home as Lars Lagerback’s side sit atop League C Group 3.
Maturity key for Ødegaard
Ødegaard believes that with time and maturity, his game will develop as he sets his sights on becoming a more dominant force on the pitch.
He netted his first Eredivisie goal of the season last week, firing home a free-kick against Utrecht, though Ødegaard was more annoyed with the chances he missed rather than the one he took.
“I am only 19, but I have been playing professional football for five years,” he said. “Then I can expect that I will dare to be more dominant.
“I understand better what this team wants, what the coach wants and how we enjoy working. I feel I have come to the perfect place to take the next step. But it is first about the team. If I am important to that, then I will also do well. The free-kick was a great reward, but I will think longer about the missed opportunity after that.”
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