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23-year-old who left Arsenal last summer says £30m player was incredible in the dressing room
Matt Smith, who left Arsenal to join Wigan Athletic last summer, has now been reflecting on his time in North London.
Smith, who is now 23-years-old, spent several years at Arsenal, and was handed a few chances under Mikel Arteta.
However, after several loans away from the side over the past few years, it was ultimately time to part ways at the end of last season.
And now at Wigan, Smith is well under way with the next chapter of his career.
However, in an interview with , Smith has now been lifting the lid on his time at Arsenal, and has been very complimentary towards the set up there.
And in particular the Hale End graduate felt the need to praise club captain Martin Odegaard for the role he plays at the club.
Smith explained that Odegaard was a big influence on him before he left Arsenal last summer, and spoke about him being an excellent example for all players.
Of course, with Odegaard a fairly quiet captain on the pitch, it is interesting to hear this kind of insight.
Matt Smith praises Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard after leaving club last summer
Smith, who is now wearing Odegaard’s number eight at Wigan, said the captain was brilliant, even on his days off.
He said: “Martin Odegaard was club captain and it was great to be around him, not just to see the footballer, but the level of professionalism. It was next level.
“The way he carries himself, the training intensity, how he is in the gym. The way he applies himself to everything, even days off. He was a big influence on me.”
Of course, when you hear praise like this, coupled with the Norwegian’s performances on the pitch, the Arsenal paid to sign Odegaard just gets better by the day.
It didn’t always seem certain that Arsenal would make his loan deal permanent the summer before last, but Smith will clearly be the first to hail that decision.
And given Odegaard is lining up with Declan Rice in midfield these days, Arteta’s side certainly don’t lack leaders or personality.
All that being said, Alan Shearer has now declared one Arsenal forward as crucial for the title fight.