Scotland and Norway
Here's another curious link betweenScotland and Norway which revolves around the latest 'wunderkid' of world football, a young 16-year-old Norwegian called Martin Odegaard who has been signed by Real Madrid.
But Martin's chances of breaking into the 'Galacticos' first team straight away is very slim, so the Celtic manager Ronnie Deila, another Norwegian who gave Martin his first big break at Stromsgodset, has stepped in to suggest an audacious loan deal with the Glasgow club.
Now I'll believe it when I see it, but who knows because if you don't ask you don't get.
Although I'm sure Real Madrid will have to agree to pay young Martin's wages if Martin does come to Scotland - because he's allegedly paid around £80,000 a week and that would definitely break the piggy bank at Celtic Park.
Ronny Deila eyes loan deal for wonder kid
Odegaard, 16, from Norway, arrives for his press conference at Real Madrid, where he will play for the second team Denis Doyle/Getty Images
Paul Forsyth - The Times
After conceding defeat in his efforts to persuade Martin Odegaard that he should join Celtic, Ronny Deila, their manager, has suggested that bringing him to the club on loan is not outwith the bounds of possibility.
The 16-year-old Norwegian sensation, who grew up playing under Deila at Stromsgodset, yesterday ended months of speculation by joining Real Madrid in a £2.3 million deal thought to be worth £80,000 a week in wages.
Persuading the world’s most exciting young talent to join Celtic on a permanent basis was always going to be a long shot, but it could be an intriguing temporary option for the midfielder who already has been capped three times by his country.
Deila is close to Odegaard and his father, who kept him informed throughout the process. If the player, who will begin his Madrid career in their B team, ever decides that he needs to gain first-team experience elsewhere, the Celtic manager would represent a safe pair of hands.
Asked whether it would be possible to sign Odegaard on loan, Deila replied: “You never know in football. We want loan players that have a big impact on the team like Jason Denayer is doing. This could be possible, but we want players that we own or can make money from of course. That’s the important thing.”
Deila had hoped that Odegaard might use Celtic as a stepping stone, and said as much in a recent meeting with the player and his father, but he is not surprised that they chose Real Madrid, even if it means a long wait for first-team action.
“It’s an exciting move,” Deila said. “It’s very hyped in Norway. It’s the biggest thing that ever happened I think, the first Norwegian player to join Madrid. I’m happy for him. It’s going to be so exciting to see how far he can reach.
“I hoped to get him to Celtic, of course, but I knew it was going to be hard with all the options. I have a good relationship with Martin and his father. They called me the day they chose Real Madrid. There’s not many times in your life you get the option to go to Real Madrid. It’s not going to ruin his career. It can’t be very bad. I understand his choice.”
Despite the eye-watering details of the deal, Deila insists that money was not the motivating factor for Odegaard, who is as grounded a young man as the Celtic manager has come across. “If I rated his attitude from 1 to 100, it is 100. He takes very quickly to all the levels he has come to. He’s the guy who trains the most. He’s very humble and very, very mature. He has the attitude to succeed. It’s going to be so exciting to see what happens. He loves to play football.”
Odegaard’s attitude is the kind Deila demands from his own players. Some at Celtic were slow to take that on board, but since the turn of the year, they have put together three straight league victories, the most recent of which was a 4-0 win against Motherwell on Wednesday night.
Not only did it restore Celtic to the top of the Scottish Premiership, it was the second consecutive match in which Leigh Griffiths has been their main striker. It represents a welcome return to favour for the former Hibernian player who was told by Deila earlier in the season that he needed to become a “24-hour athlete” if he was to have any chance of fulfilling his potential.
While John Guidetti kicked his heels on the bench, Griffiths scored the second goal against Motherwell, and did more than enough to keep his place for the match against Ross County in Dingwall tomorrow. Deila admires the striker’s ability — “I’ve not seen a better left foot in my life” — but he is pleased also with his newfound work ethic.
“We made some demands of him and he has really, really worked hard to tune into that. He still needs to improve, everybody does, but he is getting to a new level. He has played the last two games and we have won the games and he has played well, so he is in a better position than three or four weeks ago.”
• Negotiations to keep John Guidetti at Celtic are on hold until March or April, Ronny Deila, the Celtic manager has revealed. The 22-year-old striker is on loan from Manchester City until the end of the season when he will be out of contract. The Sweden international scored 11 goals in his first 12 appearances for Celtic but has not found the net since late November. “We’ve been speaking for a long time but he’s decided he wants to wait to see what his options are,” Deila said. “It will be March or April, maybe longer, so there won’t be any final decision this month. But we know we have him until the end of the season.”
After conceding defeat in his efforts to persuade Martin Odegaard that he should join Celtic, Ronny Deila, their manager, has suggested that bringing him to the club on loan is not outwith the bounds of possibility.
The 16-year-old Norwegian sensation, who grew up playing under Deila at Stromsgodset, yesterday ended months of speculation by joining Real Madrid in a £2.3 million deal thought to be worth £80,000 a week in wages.
Persuading the world’s most exciting young talent to join Celtic on a permanent basis was always going to be a long shot, but it could be an intriguing temporary option for the midfielder who already has been capped three times by his country.
Deila is close to Odegaard and his father, who kept him informed throughout the process. If the player, who will begin his Madrid career in their B team, ever decides that he needs to gain first-team experience elsewhere, the Celtic manager would represent a safe pair of hands.
Asked whether it would be possible to sign Odegaard on loan, Deila replied: “You never know in football. We want loan players that have a big impact on the team like Jason Denayer is doing. This could be possible, but we want players that we own or can make money from of course. That’s the important thing.”
Deila had hoped that Odegaard might use Celtic as a stepping stone, and said as much in a recent meeting with the player and his father, but he is not surprised that they chose Real Madrid, even if it means a long wait for first-team action.
“It’s an exciting move,” Deila said. “It’s very hyped in Norway. It’s the biggest thing that ever happened I think, the first Norwegian player to join Madrid. I’m happy for him. It’s going to be so exciting to see how far he can reach.
“I hoped to get him to Celtic, of course, but I knew it was going to be hard with all the options. I have a good relationship with Martin and his father. They called me the day they chose Real Madrid. There’s not many times in your life you get the option to go to Real Madrid. It’s not going to ruin his career. It can’t be very bad. I understand his choice.”
Despite the eye-watering details of the deal, Deila insists that money was not the motivating factor for Odegaard, who is as grounded a young man as the Celtic manager has come across. “If I rated his attitude from 1 to 100, it is 100. He takes very quickly to all the levels he has come to. He’s the guy who trains the most. He’s very humble and very, very mature. He has the attitude to succeed. It’s going to be so exciting to see what happens. He loves to play football.”
Odegaard’s attitude is the kind Deila demands from his own players. Some at Celtic were slow to take that on board, but since the turn of the year, they have put together three straight league victories, the most recent of which was a 4-0 win against Motherwell on Wednesday night.
Not only did it restore Celtic to the top of the Scottish Premiership, it was the second consecutive match in which Leigh Griffiths has been their main striker. It represents a welcome return to favour for the former Hibernian player who was told by Deila earlier in the season that he needed to become a “24-hour athlete” if he was to have any chance of fulfilling his potential.
While John Guidetti kicked his heels on the bench, Griffiths scored the second goal against Motherwell, and did more than enough to keep his place for the match against Ross County in Dingwall tomorrow. Deila admires the striker’s ability — “I’ve not seen a better left foot in my life” — but he is pleased also with his newfound work ethic.
“We made some demands of him and he has really, really worked hard to tune into that. He still needs to improve, everybody does, but he is getting to a new level. He has played the last two games and we have won the games and he has played well, so he is in a better position than three or four weeks ago.”
• Negotiations to keep John Guidetti at Celtic are on hold until March or April, Ronny Deila, the Celtic manager has revealed. The 22-year-old striker is on loan from Manchester City until the end of the season when he will be out of contract. The Sweden international scored 11 goals in his first 12 appearances for Celtic but has not found the net since late November. “We’ve been speaking for a long time but he’s decided he wants to wait to see what his options are,” Deila said. “It will be March or April, maybe longer, so there won’t be any final decision this month. But we know we have him until the end of the season.”
