Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard has opened up on the difficulties he faced after last season’s Premier League disappointment. The midfielder admits he was exhausted following his performances for club and country.

Odegaard enjoyed arguably the best season of his career to date last term. The Norway star scored 15 goals in 37 matches in the Premier League, as well as notching seven assists.

For most of the campaign, it appeared as if he would be leading the Gunners to their first top-flight title in 19 years. However, Mikel Arteta’s side suffered a dramatic drop in form in April and Manchester City were there to sweep up and win their third title in three years.

Odegaard then had to skipper Norway in their two Euro 2024 qualifiers against Scotland and Cyprus in June. The 24-year-old, who has again joined up with the Norwegian camp, has opened up for the first time on the struggles he faced at the end of last season, especially due to the circumstances surrounding Arsenal’s failed title challenge.

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Odegaard told TV2: “The whole ending, first with the club and then with the national team, was difficult. I had a good season, a lot of good things happened, but when you finish like that, it becomes extra heavy.

“I felt I was very tired after the season. I needed a break, needed to disconnect and do completely different things. The sum of both the club season and what happened here made it an even more tired body and a tired head that needed a holiday.”

Odegaard has already been through a lot in his career, having first joined Real Madrid eight-and-a-half years ago. He says he has learned ways of coping with struggles by taking himself away from the sport altogether.

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He added: “I do other things and don’t think much about football. There, I feel that I have gotten better over the years.

“When I was younger, I felt that I could get very caught up in everything that happens. Battles could affect me for a long time. Now that I’ve gotten a little older, I feel like I’m able to come home, do other things and shut it out.”

Odegaard will lead Norway in a friendly against Jordan on Thursday before the visit of Georgia in a Euro 2024 qualifier next Tuesday. Arsenal will hope he returns fully fit for the trip to Everton on September 17.

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