On the call was Mikel Arteta and, after a passionate pitch, Odegaard decided to leave Real Madrid and join Arsenal on loan.
That move became permanent six months later, and this weekend the Norwegian can complete a remarkable rise by captaining Arsenal to their first title in 20 years.
That would inevitably lead to comparisons with the Invincibles side, who will be in attendance at Emirates Stadium on Sunday to mark the anniversary of their triumph.
Odegaard would not look out of place in that team, and his journey is in keeping with many from that great side that went unbeaten in 2003-04.
Arteta, like Arsene Wenger, has shown a skill in maximising unfulfilled talent and piecing broken wonderkids back together, with 25-year-old Odegaard a prime example.
The midfielder was tipped for the top from an early age, making his Norway debut aged 15, but his career stalled after he joined Madrid in 2015.
He trained with the first team, but predominantly played for their 'B team' and spent three years on loan before his move to Emirates Stadium.
Bu hikaye Evening Standard dergisinin May 14, 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye Evening Standard dergisinin May 14, 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
PALACE STAR MUST SHINE QUICKLY IF HE'S TO BE ANSWER IN GERMANY
THE omissions of Jack Grealish and James Maddison from Gareth Southgate's final, 26-man squad for the European Championship were the most controversial in a fraught 24 hours which the manager described as his hardest in the job, but the absence of Harry Maguire was surely the most consequential.
Saints bid for winning Lawes send-off
THE last time Northampton won the Premiership, Fraser Dingwall and George Furbank were delirious teenage Saints fans in the Twickenham crowd.
'Rowdy' party in store as capital plays host to baseball grudge match
\"I DON'T think either club likes each other that much,\" says Dave Dombrowski of the rivalry between the Philadelphia Phillies, of which he is general manager, and the New York Mets.
The novel of the summer reminds me how the politics of hope has been strangled
FOURTEEN years ago, when David Cameron defeated Gordon Brown to usher in the new British age of chaotic, wayward Conservatism, I was still in my thirties.
Reeves is looking at new council tax bands and an income tax cut
YOU'LL tax this. Well you'll tax that. But you've got a secret tax bombshell.
Shortlist unveiled for Docklands memorial to victims of slavery
A 40-FOOT-HIGH statue of an African deity and a giant shell are on the shortlist for a memorial in Docklands to the victims of the transatlantic slave trade
Giving young people a head start
How JPMorgan Chase is helping to nurture talent and break down barriers to prestigious careers
Fears growing as island search for Mosley continues
THE search for missing TV doctor and columnist Michael Mosley resumed on the Greek island of Symi today amid growing fears for his safety.
Still going his way at 60,
I HAVE been whisked down the emergency stairs of a plush hotel overlooking Wembley Stadium.
Inside the most glamorous society wedding of the year
The Duke of Westminster is Britain's richest man under 40 and his fiancée is an enigma - from A-list guests to royal rifts and a vintage Bentley, Alice Cockerell reports on today's high-society nuptials