Martin Odegaard has defended his role as Arsenal captain after criticism from club legend Tony Adams. Adams had claimed that the Gunners would not win the Premier League title with Odegaard as skipper and urged Mikel Arteta to give the armband to Declan Rice.
Odegaard, speaking to Sky Sports ahead of Arsenal's match against Manchester United, described the captaincy as a constant role involving many small tasks. 'It's a lot of small things... In general it's just how I see it is to get the best out of the team and how to give the team the right mindset,' he said. He stressed that leadership is shared among players and the manager.
Adams, speaking at an event for the Irish Independent, said Rice was his 'kind of captain' and that making him captain could free Odegaard to play with more freedom. He urged Arteta to 'step up' and become a winning manager like Jurgen Klopp or Sir Alex Ferguson.
Arteta, however, confirmed that the squad had voted overwhelmingly for Odegaard to remain captain for the 2025-26 season. 'By a mile, by a big, big 100 miles, everybody choosing the same person, which is Martin Odegaard,' Arteta said. He added that there was 'no question' about Odegaard's captaincy.
