Rio Ferdinand admits misjudgement as he feels Arsenal’s Martin Odegaard has grown in stature after getting the captain’s armband

Arsenal are proving a point with their perfect start to the Premier League this season. The Gunners have not yet dropped points and will be looking to continue this way for as long as possible. A lot has changed at the Emirates since last season as new players have come in and the old ones have been given different roles at the club. So therefore when Martin Odegaard got the captaincy armband at 23 to lead this Arsenal team, it was shocking for many fans and experts.

Many felt that there were more experienced player than Odegaard who could have shouldered the responsibility rather than handing the Norwegian midfielder another job in midfield. Former Manchester United centre back Rio Ferdinand also did not like the idea at the start when Arsenal were yet to start the season.

But now he is ready to admit that Odegaard has proved him wrong with the armband as he has been phenomenal in the last couple of games and is living upto the billing as the Arsenal captain. He scored a brace in their 3-0 win over Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium and was also named as the ‘Man of the Match’.

Ferdinand shared how the new Arsenal captain is proving everyone wrong by netting goals and assists at will and living upto the expectations of the armband. He earlier shared how the armband would be a big weight of burden for many players but the Norway international is not one of them as he has only grown in stature.

“I said that the armband could weigh too heavy on him. I said it could, there was a chance that it could. But some people, when they get the armband it changes them. He’s started the season brilliantly. As a player I really like Odegaard, last season he was fantastic.”

The former Manchester United captain also shared how Odegaard was always regarded highly since his age was 15 and even during his Real Madrid days he did not play much but they regarded him as a top talent. Ferdinand feels till now it was mostly word of mouth but now he is genuinely dropping massive performances for the Gunners.

“He was a wonderkid from 15 years old and now he’s starting to show why. You either get the armband weighing heavily on you, or it enables you to grow and become better.”

Ferdinand shared how Odegaard has developed a personality and the captain’s armband has added more to his growth as his performances keep on improving every day and drop performance like he did against Bournemouth. “Three games in it looks like it’s making him a bigger player, a bigger personality and a bigger character,” the former United defender concluded.

Mikel Arteta’s men have already bagged three consecutive wins to start the season on a high and are now leading the Premier League points table. But the scary part is that they can add more to their tally as they will be facing Fulham in the next match followed by Steven Gerrard’s Aston Villa on Gameweek 5. So there are chances for Arsenal to win all of the first five games and build a lead on Manchester City as they were held by Newcastle United.