When Martin Odegaard was handed the captain’s armband at the start of the 2022/23 season, he joined a roll call of some of the best leaders English football has ever seen.
The likes of Tony Adams, Patrick Vieira and Thierry Henry are just some of the more modern examples, each showing how the role of captaincy means more than just seniority.
Odegaard’s style of leadership is not as blood and thunder as an Adams, or a Vieira, but is instead more about leading by example.
Odegaard on the honour of captaining Arsenal
Gunners boss Mikel Arteta - who himself wore the club’s armband between 2014 and 2016 - once described Odegaard as the perfect Arsenal captain, something that the 27-year-old acknowledges with his trademark modesty.
“I don’t know,” he smiles when reminded of this by FourFourTwo.
“That’s probably a question for him. But of course, I’m happy he said that. To be named captain means I must be doing something right, that he’s happy with the way I’m doing things.
“That’s a really nice thing to hear.”
Arsenal have secured second-place Premier League finishes in each of the three seasons Odegaard has skippered the side under Arteta, with the former Real Madrid man acting as the coach’s on-pitch avatar, setting the tone and embodying his philosophy.
“To be captain here is something I’m really proud of – for this amazing club, this amazing team and this amazing manager,” Odegaard adds.
The midfielder doesn’t just wear the armband for his club, but also his country, who he has led to their first World Cup in 28 years.
“And also for Norway,” he adds. “It wasn’t something I was pushing hard for. It just happened naturally, and because of that, it has felt easier to do.”
Norway will face Senegal, France and play-off winner in the group stage in North America in the summer, with Odegaard hoping to have added a Premier League title to his CV by then.
