Arsenal captain Martin Ødegaard has fired back after legendary former Gunners defender Tony Adams stated publicly his desire for the Norwegian to be replaced as the club’s captain.
Speaking at an Irish Independent Sport event in August, Adams made clear his desire to see midfielder Declan Rice replace Ødegaard as Arsenal captain, a role which Adams formerly held for 14 years, making him one of the most highly-regarded club captains in Premier League history.
“Every now and again, as a manager, you have to put someone who reflects you, who reflects the football club that you think can actually take you to the next level,” he said.
Martin Odegaard and Declan Rice
Martin Odegaard and Declan Rice (Image credit: Getty Images)
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He continued: “You’ve got someone in there who’s going to play every game all season, that’s going to encourage people to come in and lay the foundations of a title-winning team. Declan Rice can do that, Ødegaard can’t. Come on, [Mikel] Arteta, make him captain.”
Clearly unfazed by the criticism, Ødegaard has issued a response while on international duty with Norway, insisting that he does not care about opinions shared by others.
“I don’t care that much,” he said. “Everyone is allowed to have their own opinion and say what they want. I live with that.
“You can’t care what everyone says, there will be a lot of positive and negative things that can affect me. It’s important to just block it out, I’ve done it my whole career.”
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The 26-year-old has at times struggled for form while playing for Arsenal, and is yet to register a goal or an assist in the 2025/26 season, including in Norway’s recent 1-0 friendly victory over Finland.
Despite this, Ødegaard is revered among the Arsenal squad and has won a vote between players in back-to-back seasons to be the Gunners’ captain, a role which most believe he serves excellently.
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