Martin Odeegard still has time to prove himself to the world

We should all feel a degree of shame over our treatment of Martin Odeegard at such a young age.

As a club, Real Madrid is grounded in the very notion of its supremacy. They take pride in their capacity for attracting the brightest and the best with the ‘Galacticos’ ideology underpinning everything at the Santiago Bernabeu. From Zinedine Zidane to Alfredo di Stefano, Ronaldo to Cristiano Ronaldo, the sparkle has spanned generations.

Martin Odegaard as a 16-year-old had sparkle. He was the brightest and best talent of his age and so his arrival at Real Madrid in January 2015 was in keeping with the identity of the club the Norwegian was joining, even if he wasn’t yet a ‘Galactico.’ Odegaard, despite his shimmer, was not the star many believed he would be.

Loan spells at Heerenveen and Vitesse Arnhem saw the midfielder’s development stagnate. Very quickly, Odegaard was thrown on the scrapheap of wonderkids who failed to live up to their billing. Along with the likes of Freddy Adu and Kerlon, the Norwegian was written off as another cautionary tale for those tempted to make too much of one so young.

Such conclusions were clearly drawn too hastily. On loan at Real Sociedad, Odegaard has this season exploded into a fully fledged star. Now 20, he might even have been the best player in La Liga so far this season, outshining Lionel Messi, Luka Modric, Joao Felix, Antoine Griezmann and everyone else.

The past four years have forged a character and a player more mature than his still tender years. Odegaard has become the dynamo through which Real Sociedad’s attacking play flows. The Norwegian is demanding of the ball and his teammates, clearly aware of his presence and ability, are all too keen to give him it. “I feel I’m playing like more of an adult now,” Odegaard explained in a recent interview. “I feel like I’m creating more, running more, feeling stronger on the pitch, and I feel like it’s part of growing up.

There are flashes of Messi in some of Odegaard’s movement and dribbling. At other times the Norwegian plays like Modric, driving forward from deep and opening up space for others around him to exploit. Then every so often there is a bolt of Andres Iniesta-esque vision in Odegaard’s play, as demonstrated by his astonishing assist in the 3-0 win over Alaves last month.

He is the sort of player his parent club Real Madrid are currently desperate for. Zidane’s rebuild has stalled with the Frenchman under intense pressure. Some reports even claim that Jose Mourinho has already been lined up as his replacement for when the trigger is eventually pulled. Real Madrid’s problems are not isolated to one area, but they are most acute in midfield.

With Casemiro, Toni Kroos and Modric all fading forces, Zidane lacks energy and drive through the centre of the pitch. Odegaard fits the bill, but his loan deal at Real Sociedad is due to last until the end of the 2020/21 season. Some have already speculated that Real Madrid could recall him early such are their needs.

“My intention is to stay [at Real Sociedad] two years and I think that’s important for me, too,” Odegaard insisted when asked whether he could be back at the Santiago Bernabeu sooner than originally expected. “I have had two seasons in a row where I’ve changed teams. To have some stability is good [and] this is a great club and hopefully we can get European football for next season.”

Of course, Odegaard wants to return to Real Madrid one day, but the Norwegian demonstrates admirable wisdom in acknowledging the value of staying where he is for the time being. Odegaard knows more than most that soccer’s fickleness isn’t always conducive to organic growth. Real Sociedad might well lead back to the capital for him, but having suffered so much scrutiny to date why not enjoy the acclaim a little longer?