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Real Madrid Are Using A Very Sneaky Clause To Make Sure Martin Odegaard Plays For Heerenveen

Real Madrid Are Using A Very Sneaky Clause To Make Sure Martin Odegaard Plays For Heerenveen

Los Blancos are doing their best to get the young Norwegian first team experience

Joe Baiamonte

Joe Baiamonte

Martin Ødegaard, once the brightest young prospect the football world had fawned over since Freddy Adu, is now maintaining his place in Heerenveen's first team thanks to a very sneaky clause inserted into his loan contract by parent club Real Madrid.

The 17-year-old Norwegian, who arrived at the Bernabeu to much ceremony in 2014, struggled to adapt to life in the Spanish capital, according to several reports, with his shared training between the first team and Castilla squad reportedly causing problems.


Over the course of the past three seasons, Ødegaard has turned out for Real's Castilla team 62 times, scoring five goals in the process, while making two appearances for the first team, becoming the youngest debutant in the club's history at the age of 16 years and 157 days old, during a substitute appearance in a 7-3 home victory over Getafe.

Earlier this term, the former Stromgodset wonderkid was sent to Heerenveen in the Dutch Eredivisie to gain some first team experience, with several members of Los Blancos management apparently worried about his progress.

Martin Odegaard
Martin Odegaard

"Sake, just remembered that coursework is due in tomorrow" Image: PA

However, the loan move doesn't currently seem to be having the desired effect, with Heerenveen boss Jurgen Streppel unconvinced by the Norway international, with the club slipping from fourth to sixth in the league since his arrival (although of course, that can't be attributed solely to the 17-year-old).

Let's hope in a few years time we're not adding the Norwegian teenager to this list...

Yet, despite Streppel's disappointment with Ødegaard, the Norwegian teenager has started every game he's been available for, so far. And herein lies Real Madrid's deviousness.

According to reports emanating from El Confidencial in Spain, the European champions have inserted a clause in the deal that took Ødegaard to Heerenveen which dictates that the Dutch team must pay an extra 40,000 euros for each game they decide not to play him.

Of course, this is all just hearsay at the moment, with neither club commenting on the issue, although it may go some way to explaining why Streppel is persisting with playing the 17-year-old so consistently at the moment, despite his relatively average form.

(H/T 101 Great Goals)

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: Football, Martin Odegaard, Real Madrid