Arsenal captain Martin Ødegaard is across the Norwegian media more than usual this week, and that isn’t just because it’s an international break.
The midfielder and his girlfriend Helene Spilling have announced in recent days that they’re set to become parents. Of course, the couple are receiving nothing but the very best of wishes, and the Arsenal player himself sounds thrilled with the development.
TV2 quote Ødegaard as saying: “It’s fantastic and something I’m really looking forward to. It’s something I’ve really wanted to do in my life, so it will be great.”
The Arsenal player was then asked what he thinks he’ll be like as a father, and said: “It is difficult to say. It is probably what most people say; that you don’t quite know what you’re going to do until you suddenly stand there. But I’m really looking forward to it.”
Ødegaard explained he’s reached a stage where he now feels settled, both on and off the pitch, and is clearly very happy with his life at Arsenal, telling TV2: “I feel I am established in my life now. I feel like I’m at the perfect club and I’m fine at home too. So now I feel that things are in place.”
But there’s just a couple of things missing… “The only thing missing is for us to start winning titles with Arsenal and make it to the championship with Norway.”
Norway are currently playing Kazakhstan in the UEFA Nations League, and Ødegaard started the match. They next face Austria in the same competition on Monday evening.
The country’s national team is under big pressure to qualify for the next World Cup and then Euros.