Captains lifting trophies are the images that stick with most fans.
Martin Odegaard had that pleasure when Arsenal beat Manchester City on penalties in the Community Shield on the weekend, but a moment that followed was more telling of his understanding of his leadership role.
The Arsenal players were on the pitch, celebrating in front of their fans. As the trophy was handed to Declan Rice, Vanilla Ice’s ‘Ice Ice Baby’ blared out over Wembley’s PA system.
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Arsenal’s record signing shuffled along in his own world before handing the silverware to Odegaard, who saw the bigger picture.
With one hand free, he dragged Rice towards the sea of red in the stands waiting to join him in song. Rice almost shyly accepts his fate but then there was a moment of connection.
Rice Rice Baby pic.twitter.com/PBzSISkMEs
— Art de Roché (@ArtdeRoche) August 6, 2023
Odegaard himself has felt the importance of these bonding moments — and it is these smaller details that have stood out while he wears the armband.
It may be hard to believe, but this time a year ago there were still uncertainties about Arsenal. Their pre-season had started well, but there was one thing missing: a club captain.
Arsenal have not had a long-standing figure with the armband in decades. Patrick Vieira and Cesc Fabregas’ three years with the captaincy from 2002-2005 and 2008-2011 respectively come closest to Tony Adams’ 14 years as ‘Mr Arsenal’ but like most that followed the midfielders, their time with it did not end in the best circumstances.
After Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s departure in February 2022, the armband was passed between Alexandre Lacazette, Kieran Tierney, Granit Xhaka and Odegaard.
Lacazette left as a free agent for Lyon last summer and, from the outside, Tierney and Xhaka appeared justified candidates to take on the role full time. Both gave off a more typical image of a captain: vocal and no-nonsense when seen on the pitch.
Even so, it was Odegaard who was handed the club captaincy permanently at the end of July. The decision seemed logical and over a year on it is a choice that is particularly telling with the direction Arsenal have taken.
In the weeks after the announcement, the new dynamic of ‘leadership’ in the Arsenal squad began to emerge.
Internally, Xhaka was always an integral member of the dressing room and that did not change. In August, the Swiss international admitted he did not need the armband to lead, which could be seen by how vocal he was during breaks in play. Odegaard was viewed more as a symbolic leader externally; an extension of Mikel Arteta on the pitch who could set a standard and guide accordingly.
MØ x MA 😄#UCL pic.twitter.com/rPIVIafANC
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) July 18, 2023
As the season developed, there were signs that proved he is more than just a quiet captain who leads by example.
Different people see different sides of this at different times. The majority will make their judgments based on what happens on the pitch. The 24-year-old’s 15 Premier League goals therefore help, with many game-changers, but what he offers in less high-profile moments can be just as important.
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For example, most will remember his outstanding performance away to Brighton & Hove Albion for his half-volleyed goal, sweeping assist and nutmeg that could still give Lewis Dunk nightmares.
Within that game, which ended 4-2, Brighton had a 15-minute period of dominance when Arsenal were 1-0 up. At a break in play, Odegaard and Eddie Nketiah shouted to Arteta in the dugout, which is in front of the AMEX Stadium’s press box.
The Norway captain — he has led his country since March 2021 — then got to work. He signalled a 4-4-2 to Arteta. That is Arsenal’s usual shape off the ball but they were too open and willing to retreat. Alongside this, he gestured a movement to the entire team to get higher upfield to counter Brighton’s onslaughts. These tweaks were implemented and Arsenal regained control before he doubled the lead at the end of the first half.
That influence can be seen in the minor choices made during play. Again, most will recall his long-range opener from the 2-0 win away to Newcastle United in May. Just 90 seconds before this, Odegaard was the one to engage Alexander Isak in midfield…
And force him to pass backwards.
As Newcastle try to find a new route forward, he then rushes into Bruno Guimaraes. It is more of a barge to unsettle the Brazil midfielder than an actual attempt at a tackle, but it sets the tone.
Xhaka follows suit and wins the ball off Guimaraes shortly after. Gabriel Jesus then wins the free kick that indirectly leads to Odegaard’s goal.
Some of these aspects have been in Odegaard’s play since he joined, initially on loan, from Real Madrid in January 2021.
“His work rate is incredible,” Arteta said when Arsenal beat Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 — a game Odegaard scored the opener in — in March of that year. “Not only that, he is intelligent. The timing of his runs, when he presses, his body shape. I am really impressed and he had an incredible performance. He is giving us something different and it is making us better.”
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Other actions that have emerged include the way Odegaard interacts with supporters and club staff. Halfway through last season, he began giving a lap of honour to applaud all corners of Emirates Stadium after the final whistle. As the season went on, he was repeatedly the final player to head down the tunnel.
Start and end of Ødegaard’s lap https://t.co/3MC8P5wyJq pic.twitter.com/86C1doLIQm
— Art de Roché (@ArtdeRoche) March 1, 2023
His status with the fans grew even further in February when Odegaard gave an impassioned interview to The Players’ Tribune about his love for Arsenal and finding a ‘home’.
He is known to go out of his way to make his presence felt when needed.
When Arsenal launched their new stadium art in January at the Emirates, Odegaard volunteered to attend. When Arsenal drew Bodo/Glimt in last season’s Europa League in his homeland, he asked to take the pre-match press conference when they travelled to Norway for the second leg rather than in London. Odegaard is second only to Erling Haaland in Norway and he was happy to meet the flock of children who waited outside the stadium for him to arrive.
Odegaard is not shy when it comes to fronting up. During the Covid-19 lockdown and just after, it was not uncommon to see Arsenal’s youngsters — such as Bukayo Saka, Emile Smith Rowe and Joe Willock — do post-match media after unfavourable results. After their shock opening day defeat at newly promoted Brentford in August 2021, Albert Sambi Lokonga was given that honour after a difficult debut.
Odegaard has changed that. When they lost 3-1 to Manchester United in September last year, he was the one to step up and face the cameras. As tension grew towards the back end of the season, he continued to do so.
That sense of responsibility has been felt within the London Colney training ground too.
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He is one of the first to reach out to new signings and ensure everyone is on the same wavelength on and off the pitch. Asked how he’s done this with this summer’s additions of Declan Rice, Kai Havertz and Jurrien Timber, he said: “Just making sure that they feel welcome and to help them understand our game model.
“When players come in it can be tricky to understand everything we do, so just helping them with small things. I try to speak to them to see if they need something or if I need to explain something to them on the pitch about how we do things.
“We’re like a family already.”
That warmth can extend to players who have been part of that family longer than him, as he has taken Saka to and from training. He regularly lunches with non-football staff in a bid to build a rapport — it’s a move that has been appreciated.
There has been contention around the armband since Arsenal’s move to the Emirates.
Early on, Thierry Henry, Fabregas and Robin van Persie left to strengthen domestic and European rivals. After them, Arteta, Thomas Vermaelen and Per Mertesacker were more like figureheads with their lack of minutes due to injuries and age.
Then came issues surrounding Laurent Koscielny’s departure to Bordeaux in 2019, Xhaka’s incident with supporters at home against Crystal Palace that same year and Aubameyang being stripped of the captaincy for repeated disciplinary breaches before leaving. William Gallas’ spell with the armband between August 2007 and November 2008 ended in ignominy after an outburst directed at his team-mates.
Arteta and Arsenal had to get their next appointment right — and they have.
Odgeaard may not look like a typical leader, but his year with the armband has shown there is much more that goes into being a captain. He is one of the most graceful players to watch in the Premier League, but it is the little things he does away from the pitch that count.
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There will still be more growth to come, but Odegaard has matured and made the role his own. He is not just an extension of his manager.
“I don’t know. I’m not in the shower when he’s singing, so I can’t respond to that,” Arteta joked when asked in December if Odegaard was getting louder as captain. “He’s fun. He’s a great guy and he does things in his own way.
“He doesn’t need to shout to get attention.”
(Photo: Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images))
