Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has named Martin Odegaard as the Gunners’ new permanent captain.
The 23-year-old former Real Madrid wonderkid joined the club in January 2021, initially on loan, before making the switch permanent last summer.
Already captain of Norway, Odegaard has beats out several other notable potential skippers, including Switzerland captain Granit Xhaka and Scotland’s Kieran Tierney as well as academy products Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe.
Xhaka was previously named Arsenal captain in 2019, but was removed from the role following a spat with fans.
Goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale had previously intimated that he would like to be named captain, telling FourFourTwo “listen, I’d take the responsibility but that’s down to the manager.”
Odegaard becomes the 13th permanent Arsenal captain of the Premier League era, following legends like Tony Adams, Patrick Vieira, Thierry Henry and Cesc Fabregas as well as current Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta who captained the club for two years after joining from Everton.
Recently captains have left in acrimonious circumstances, Robin van Persie forced a move to Manchester United while captain. William Gallas left on a free transfer to join Tottenham.
The Xhaka incident followed shortly after Laurent Koscielny’s unpleasant departure for Bordeaux, while the end of Aubameyang’s tenure was also less than ideal.
Alexandre Lacazette, though never officially named captain, wore the armband more often than any other player after Aubameyang left but he has also departed the club.
Since Aubameyang’s exit, the captaincy had been rotated among several members of Arsenal’s leadership group, but the appointment of Odegaard gives the Gunners a focal point on and off the pitch.
Although he has played just 60 times for the club, Odegaard is a virtually certain starter and highly-influential on the pitch.
Arteta recently hinted at the appointment of Odegaard, saying “Martin has a lot of qualities that we want as a captain… one of them is that he thinks about the team before himself. He had a period at the start where he wasn’t playing, he was the first in training, the last to leave, asking the right questions – why he wasn’t playing, what he had to do – he was always listening, he was always helping his teammates.”
He will get his first chance to lead out the side as the full-time captain in today’s friendly match against Sevilla.
Arsenal kick off their Premier League campaign away at Selhurst Park against Crystal Palace next week and will begin their assault on the Europa League in September.
