Martin Odegaard believes he is ready to become Arsenal's next permanent captain.
The Norwegian has played an integral role for the Gunners this season as he aims to be part of the first Arsenal side to qualify for the Champions League since the 2015/16 season. But amid a number of sensational individual performances, he's also stepped up into a position of leadership on and off the field.
Although being captain brings a certain amount of added pressure, Odegaard insists he is relishing the challenge of being one of Arsenal's foremost leaders: "It's big, of course, but it does not change much. I feel like I'm doing the same things," he told tv2sport.
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"There are more people around who think about it. But it is a great recognition and a great declaration of trust. I take that as a big compliment, but beyond that I do the same as always."
He continued by explaining that he was surprised by how quickly he was given the armband. The midfielder only signed for the Gunners on a permanent contract last summer in a deal worth £35million, thus the captaincy was unexpected.
"No, I did not think so. I've only been here a little over a year, so I did not think so. But everything has gone very well from the start, I quickly got into it and slipped into the environment, the group and the team. Everything has gone faster than I expected."
Odegaard has been sharing the role with Alexandre Lacazette and Kieran Tierney. The former of those two is expected to depart the club when his contract comes to an end in June, whilst Tierney's questionable injury record means giving him the armband permanently is a risk.
Nevertheless, Odegaard would like to take on the armband full-time: "If it is desirable, then of course I will ask, but that is not my focus at all. It's about to finish the season, get to the Champions League and take it from there and see what happens next season."
But being Arsenal captain comes at an unfortunate price. The role has been tarnished in recent years, with some suggesting that it's in fact 'cursed'. The previous two skippers Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Granit Xhaka - both teammates of Odegaard - were stripped of the title prematurely. Aubameyang was even ousted from the squad before he left for Barcelona in early February.
However, Odegaard says he hasn't thought about the supposed 'curse' as he's focused on securing Champions League football for his side: "I have not thought about it at all. It does not matter," he added.
"Everything that has happened in the past has nothing to say. The focus is on what is now. The Champions League is our big goal. Everything else I do not think about. It is far behind in the line of what is important."
Unlike Aubameyang, Xhaka turned things around at the Emirates and is now a valuable part of Arteta's project. The Swiss international lost the role as a direct consequence of a fiery reaction to Arsenal fans in a 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace in 2019, but Odegaard insists he hasn't spoken to the midfielder about that dark day.
"I have not asked him anything about it, but we are close and talk a lot together. He is a great player and person. Incredibly important for the team, important in the locker room, gives extremely much all the time. I try to learn from him in all possible ways, but we have not talked about that in particular."
It ultimately seems as though the 23-year-old is up for the challenge. The decision will of course be up to Arteta, but considering he's already the captain of his country, he may be the man ready to finally bring an end to the ill-fated role.
