Martin Odegaard has heaped praise on Arsenal teammate Declan Rice, calling him 'unbelievable' ahead of Norway's World Cup quarter-final clash against England on Saturday. The match, set to take place at Miami's Hard Rock Stadium at 10pm BST, pits two of the tournament's standout teams against each other.
Odegaard relishes Rice challenge
Speaking to the media, Odegaard highlighted Rice's consistent excellence. 'He's been outstanding. Playing with him, you can see all the qualities and it's such a pleasure to share the pitch with him. What he's been doing for such a long time is just unbelievable, so I'm looking forward to the challenge and seeing them all,' the Norwegian captain said.
Odegaard, who has led Norway to their first World Cup quarter-final in history, acknowledged the quality of England's squad. 'I know them really well. Outstanding players, world-class players playing for probably one of the best national teams in the world at the moment. It's going to be a big test for us, but I think Brazil was the same. We were the underdogs and, as you saw, anything can happen in football. We're going to give it a good try, see what we can do, and we're looking forward to it.'
Norway's historic run
Norway's journey to the quarter-finals has been remarkable. They won four of their five group-stage matches, including a stunning 2-1 victory over Brazil. Erling Haaland has been in devastating form, scoring a brace against Brazil to take his tournament tally to seven goals in just four games. Odegaard, after an up-and-down season at Arsenal despite their Premier League title win, has rediscovered his best form on the international stage.
Sickness bug downplayed
A sickness bug has affected the Norwegian camp, with Jorgen Strand Larsen, Marcus Holmgren Pedersen, and head coach Stale Solbakken reportedly feeling unwell. However, Odegaard insisted it was nothing serious. 'I think when you change temperature, air conditioning and all that, it's normal, so it's nothing major to be honest. We've had a few people feeling a bit sick, but it's nothing major and we should be all good for Saturday,' he said.
Terry warns England
Former England captain John Terry, speaking on Piers Morgan Uncensored, warned that neutralizing Odegaard and Haaland is key to England's chances. 'Listen, Norway are a good side. I think they're well drilled. I think everything that goes well through that team goes through Martin Odegaard. If England stop him and Erling Haaland, then we have a big, big chance,' Terry said.
The winner of England vs Norway will face either Argentina or Switzerland in the semi-finals.
