The Battle of Young Scandinavian Football Talents: Haaland and Odegaard's Divergent Journeys in International Play

Scotland currently holds the lead in Group A, thanks to their impressive win against Spain and victory over Cyprus in the qualifying rounds for Euro 2024. The team has been carefully preparing for their upcoming fixtures and has even undergone warm-weather training to ensure they are in top form. However, they are also hoping that Norway's Erling Haaland and Martin Odegaard may experience a dip in performance, giving Scotland an advantage in their match against Norway in Oslo on Saturday night.

Steve Clarke's men face a daunting task as they prepare to take on Norway, and it's impossible to ignore the impressive talents of two standout players on their squad. These two individuals were once teenage sensations and have since evolved into world-class athletes who have made significant contributions to the Premier League title race this season. While Haaland's unprecedented 36-goal record has earned him a well-deserved spotlight, Odegaard has captained Arsenal to an impressive campaign of their own. As if that weren't enough, he also serves as captain for his country and will be celebrating his 50th appearance for the national team this coming weekend.

Haaland has exploded onto the international stage with an impressive tally of 21 goals in 23 games, a feat that highlights his exceptional scoring prowess. As Norway seeks to secure a place in the upcoming tournament, the young striker's ability to deliver trademark strikes could be the key to their success. Indeed, the team struggled in his absence, managing just one point from their first two games. In contrast, the trajectory of the second Norway star has been markedly different.

Lars Lagerback, the former coach of Norway, has a deep understanding of their captivating tales. He holds the distinction of offering Haaland his inaugural appearance for the national team and witnessed in amazement as Haaland scored six goals in his first six matches, which included a hat-trick against Romania in just his sixth game for his country.

"He's truly exceptional," says Lagerback, who has previously managed both Sweden and Iceland, leading the latter to the quarter-finals of the Euros, including a famous victory over England. Throughout my career, I've had the privilege of working with some incredible players, but none have quite matched up to this young talent. When I first brought him on at just 19 years old, I knew he had the potential to be something truly special. While some may compare him to greats like Zlatan Ibrahimovic or Henrik Larsson, at his age, he's already surpassed them in terms of skill and ability."

"He's in all respect, unique, I think."

Haaland was at Red Bull Salzburg when he got the call to join the senior ranks of his country.

His rise to prominence began at Molde, where he quickly caught the attention of clubs abroad. Eventually, he made the move to Austria and continued to impress, leading to his transfer to Borussia Dortmund. It wasn't long after his debut for Norway that he found himself at Manchester City, where his talent and calculated development have propelled him to European dominance. Lagerback has taken notice of the strategic steps taken to bring him to this level of success.

"He was an exceptional player when he first joined the national team. However, if you had told me then that he would score more than 30 goals in his debut season in the Premier League, I would have been amazed!

"Nevertheless, his success can be attributed to his intelligence and strategic thinking. Other players can learn from his approach to selecting clubs when advancing to higher levels."

However, Odegaard's path to success was far from smooth during the early stages of his career. Being highly sought after across Europe as a young player, expectations were sky-high. He made history as Norway's youngest-ever player at the age of 15 and was signed by Real Madrid at just 16 years old.

Despite being at one of the biggest clubs in the world, Odegaard struggled to secure a spot in the first-team squad and was subsequently sent out on loan to several clubs, including Heerenveen, Vitesse, Real Sociedad and Arsenal, before finally finding his footing in north London and realizing his true potential.

During a challenging 18-month period, Odegaard did not receive any senior call-ups. However, after gaining valuable experience through his loan deals in the Eredivisie, Lagerback decided to bring him back into the group in November 2017. With his upcoming 50th national team appearance, Lagerback credits Odegaard's mental toughness during that early period of his career as a key factor in his rise to the top of the game.

Lagerback shares that adapting to international football was not a concern with Erling, given his impressive skills at just 19 years old. However, Martin's experience was different due to his early debut at 15 and subsequent challenges in Real Madrid's second team, as well as his loaned-out stints in Holland. To better support Martin's growth, Lagerback decided to have him play with the U21s initially. Though Martin was not with Lagerback during the first year, he found a coach who suited him and secured a central role in the team during his second stint in Holland. As a result, Lagerback invited him back to the national team.

Despite facing numerous challenges with his lending out and early move to Madrid, Martin's unwavering personality shone through. It was impressive to witness his mental strength as he navigated these obstacles and ultimately found a good fit with Arsenal under manager Mikel Arteta. This is a testament to the importance of mental resilience, which both Martin and Arteta possess in abundance.

These Scandinavian stars are determined to lead Norway to their first major tournament since 2000. Despite any concerns about their current form, Haaland and Odegaard's dedication to success, both individually and for the team, makes them a formidable threat for Scotland to contend with in their upcoming match.

Follow Norway vs Scotland with We' live blog on the website and App on Saturday, kick-off 5pm.