Martin Odegaard will often give Bukayo Saka lifts to and from training, and eat his lunch at London Colney alongside the non-playing staff at Arsenal in an attempt to build a rapport throughout the ranks.
That is according to a report from The Athletic, which has taken a look at the lengths the Norwegian has gone to since being confirmed as the Gunners’ permanent skipper last year.
It is fair to say that Martin Odegaard has taken to the role of being Arsenal captain superbly. The 24-year-old was one of a few contenders for the role when Alexandre Lacazette moved on. And now it is hard to imagine anyone else in the Arsenal squad doing a better job.
Odegaard going above and beyond as Arsenal captain
The Athletic has outlined all of the things Odegaard has done since getting the role which have largely gone under the radar. They include volunteering to attend when Arsenal unveiled the new art at the Emirates earlier this year, and fronting up to the media when the side are struggling.
But there are also some very nice touches around the training ground fans will not have seen. The Athletic notes that Odegaard has taken Bukayo Saka to and from training.
Meanwhile, the midfielder will regularly eat his lunch with the non-playing staff at London Colney to help build a relationship with everyone involved in what Arsenal are trying to do. It is noted that the gesture is very much appreciated.
It is a small gesture. And perhaps it will not have a huge impact on results on the pitch. But whenever a side goes through a particularly successful period, it is striking just how much everyone connected seems to be pulling in the same direction.
Meanwhile, when teams are struggling, it is noticeable just how fragmented relationships seem to be.
Arsenal, right now, seems to be more united than they have been for so many years. And Odegaard has obviously played a key role in that in a number of ways.
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