Eight players whose Real Madrid’s careers new golden boy Martin Odegaard would rather not emulate.
One of the great transfer sagas of recent months has surrounded Norwegian teenager Martin Odegaard, who has seemingly been courted by every major club in Europe since he rose to prominence with his performances for Stromsgodset in the Tippligaen at the tender age of just 15.
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Eight brilliant young starlets Martin Odegaard will want to emulate
Odegaard recently turned 16 and has now made a decision about his future, signing for Real Madrid, where he will be looking to develop his clear talent and potential into a successful career in the game.
Whilst the allure of the Bernabeu is great, however, not all players are successful following a move to the Spanish capital. Here are eight players that the Norwegian does want to emulate:
Javier Saviola
Argentine striker Javier Saviola was one of the most highly regarded young forwards in world football when he moved from fierce rivals FC Barcelona, earning the consternation of Catalonia in doing so.
It never quite worked out for Saviola at the Bernabeu, however, and his potential was never realised before he later moved on to the likes of Benfica, Olympiakos and Hellas Verona.
Jonathan Woodgate
Real Madrid went through a spell of signing English players during the early 21st century, but Newcastle United central defender Jonathan Woodgate was not one of their most successful buys.
Woodgate scored an own goal and received a red card on his debut – but at least he was fit enough to take part, something that couldn’t be said for the majority of his time at the club.
Royston Drenthe
Another exciting young player for whom a move to Real didn’t work out is winger Royston Drenthe, who arrived from Feyenoord as one of the most sought after starlets in Dutch football.
He never performed consistently for Real and, following loan spells with Hercules and Everton, he is now on loan at Sheffield Wednesday from Reading.
Asier Illarramendi
It is perhaps too early to make a judgement on the Real Madrid career of young Spanish midfielder Asier Illarramendi, but the early signs are not good for the former Real Sociedad man.
Rated as one of the brightest prospects in Spanish football when plying his trade in San Sebastian, Real paid through the nose to land Illarramendi but have rarely given him the chance to stake his claim since.
Antonio Cassano
Outspoken and controversial, Italian forward Antonio Cassano has never been one to doubt his own talent, but he never made it at the Bernabeu after arriving from AS Roma with a huge reputation in 2006.
Cassano made just 19 appearances in two seasons, but a successful loan spell with Sampdoria was the catalyst for much more joy back in Serie A.
Gabriel Heinze
Regarded as one of the most solid and consistent defenders in the Premier League whilst at Manchester United, Argentine international Gabriel Heinze does not enjoy the same reputation in La Liga following his shaky spell with Real.
Underused and underperforming, Heinze is not fondly remembered by the club but still went on to have spells with Marseille, AS Roma and Newell’s Old Boys.
Nicolas Anelka
Controversial it may be, but Nicolas Anelka never fulfilled the full potential that his early performances at Arsenal suggested he had – and that has to go, at least partly, down to his time at Real Madrid.
The Spaniards paid a huge fee to land him from Highbury, but Anelka was largely woeful in Spain and went on to have a career largely as a well paid journeyman, although his time at Chelsea was a big success.
The less said about his most recent spells, with West Bromwich Albion and Mumbai City, the better.
Kaka
It may have been injuries rather than a lack of ability that meant Kaka’s time in Madrid was unsuccessful, but the Brazilian’s stint in La Liga was still a disaster considering the record fee paid to land him from AC Milan.
The playmaker spent most of his time at the club on the sidelines and was a fraction of the player by the time he returned to the San Siro for an ill-fated second stint.