Real Madrid-owned Martin Odegaard has joked that being coached by Zinedine Zidane wasn't good for building confidence due to the club legend's incredible technique in training sessions.
Odegaard arrived at the Santiago Bernabeu in January 2015 to much fanfare, the Norwegian youngster tipped as one of the Spanish side's next big prospects.
The attacker found it difficult to settle with the club's Castilla side and made only one appearance for Madrid in La Liga before being farmed out on loan.
Spells with Heerenveen and Vitesse have yielded more playing time and goals for the 20-year-old, who admits that joining such a big club was overwhelming at times.
I trained with the first team and played games with the reserves when Zidane was our coach, Odegaard told Algemeen Dagblad. I also got some minutes in the first team. I had to get used to the pace and the quality.
It was great to be coached by Zidane but sometimes it wasn't good for your self-confidence when he showed us how we should do certain things in training... what a technique!
Of course I was hoping for more games, but in the end of I've played with the biggest stars. It was a giant step for me. From Stromsgodset to Sergio Ramos and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Odegaard's contract with Madrid runs until June 2021, although it is unclear as to whether he will be part of the club's immediate plans, with Lucas Vazquez and Marco Asensio among the preferred options in Santiago Solari's attacking set-up.
Regardless, the player feels that he made the right choice in signing with the reigning European champions, whom he believes is the biggest club in the world.
I could have gone to many clubs but Real Madrid was a dream come true, he added. It's the biggest club in the world - and for me, it was the best choice as well.
Odegaard returns to action with Vitesse on Saturday, taking on his former side Heerenveen in the Eredivisie, while Real Madrid host Deportivo Alaves on Sunday as they look to shorten the gap between themselves and La Liga leaders Barcelona.
