Arsenal captain, Martin Odegaard has opened up about the attitude of Cristiano Ronaldo towards him while they were together at Real Madrid.
The Norwegian reflected on the huge influence Ronaldo exerted during his formative years, acknowledging that the Portuguese football icon provided him with substantial support.
Ronaldo’s Portugal beat Odegaard and his Norwegian teammates 2-1 in the UEFA Nations League on Sunday.
Speaking to TV2 (via Sapo), the Arsenal captain described how his experience training alongside one of football’s most accomplished players contributed to his professional development.
He said: “There’s not much better for a 16-year-old than working with a player like Cristiano Ronaldo and observing everything he does. You could see how he prepared for big games, the professionalism, and the work that went into it.
“He [Cristiano Ronaldo], and in fact everyone in the first-team squad, took care of me. He was one of the people who helped me the most, giving me a lot of advice.”
Ronaldo and Odegaard were colleagues at Real Madrid from January 2015 to July 2018, although the Norwegian spent considerable portions of this period either on loan or playing for the reserve team.
During this period, Los Blancos secured three UEFA Champions League titles, one La Liga championship, two UEFA Super Cups, two FIFA Club World Cups and one Spanish Super Cup.