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Norway Martin Ødegaard is a highly technical midfielder and captain for both Premier League club Arsenal and the Norway national team, known for his vision and leadership on the field.
His partnership with Nike commenced in March 2023, aligning him with other athletes like Stephon Gilmore who have also endorsed the brand.
Konami Digital Entertainment and Arsenal have renewed a multi-year partnership that keeps the Premier League club as a core team in Konami's eFootball game, with Martin Ødegaard named an ambassador.
Odegaard has attracted numerous endorsement deals, one of which is with Adidas, a global sportswear company.
Martin Ødegaard was born on December 17, 1998, in Drammen, Norway, and began his football journey at a young age with local club Drammen Strong. His early development was significantly influenced by his father, Hans Erik Ødegaard, a former footballer who co-founded a football section at Drammen Strong and coached Martin’s team. A crucial investment of 50,000 kroner from his parents and others in 2005 allowed the club to install artificial turf at their field, where Ødegaard spent countless hours honing his skills. In 2009, he joined the youth division of Strømsgodset, often training and playing with older boys. His talent became apparent early, notably impressing former football manager Lars Tjærnås at a national tournament for under-16s when Ødegaard was only 12.
Ødegaard’s senior club career began at age 15 in 2014 when he debuted for Strømsgodset, becoming the youngest player to appear in the Tippeligaen. He signed a professional contract with the club that year and quickly set a new record as the league’s youngest goalscorer. His impressive performances led to training visits with clubs like Bayern Munich, Manchester United, and Arsenal. In January 2015, at 16, Ødegaard signed with Real Madrid for an initial fee of approximately €4 million, becoming the club’s youngest player. He primarily played for Real Madrid Castilla under Zinedine Zidane and made his first-team debut for Real Madrid in May 2015, further cementing his status as a footballing prodigy.
After several loan spells that provided crucial first-team experience, including stints at Eredivisie clubs Heerenveen (2017-2018) and Vitesse Arnhem (2018-2019), and La Liga club Real Sociedad (2019-2020) where he won the Copa del Rey, Ødegaard eventually moved to Arsenal. He initially joined Arsenal on loan in January 2021 and made the move permanent in August 2021 for an initial £30 million (€35 million). In July 2022, he was appointed captain of Arsenal, leading the team and earning accolades such as Premier League Player of the Month (November/December 2022) and multiple Arsenal Player of the Season awards (2022-23, 2023-24). He also became the youngest senior Norway player in 2014 and the youngest to play in a UEFA European Championship qualifying match.
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