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Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard claims leaving Real Madrid was 'the best decision for me' after arriving as a 16-year-old... as the Norway playmaker insists he wanted to 'grow' as a player by moving to the Emirates

Martin Odegaard has labelled leaving Real Madrid and join Arsenal as the 'best decision' after previously moving to the Santiago Bernabeu aged just 16.

The Norwegian playmaker switched Spain for London in a £30m permanent move two-years ago having already completed a successful initial loan spell at the Emirates.

Odegaard was handed the Arsenal captaincy in July last year after emerging as a key cog in Mikel Arteta's squad and establishing himself as one of the Premier League's best players.

He made just 11 appearances for Real Madrid's first-team and failed to score or register an assist in any of those but explained he 'learned a lot' during his time in the Spanish capital.