Zinedine Zidane 'Wasn't Good for My Self-Confidence,' Says Martin Odegaard

Real Madrid youngster Martin Odegaard says Zinedine Zidane "wasn't good" for his self-confidence when they worked alongside one another at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Odegaard joined Los Blancos from Norwegian club Stromsgodset in January 2015, age 16 and one of the most coveted youngsters in world football. Four years on and Odegaard—who's midway through a season-long loan at Vitesse Arnhem—opened up to AD (h/t Marca) about his relationship with the now-departed boss:

"Having Zidane as my coach was a very nice thing, but it wasn’t good for my self-confidence.

"What an incredible technique he has. I could have gone to many clubs, but Real Madrid was a dream. They are the biggest club in the world and were the best option for me. There I trained with the senior team and played with Castilla under Zidane.

"I played football with the biggest stars and made a huge step from Stromsgodset to Sergio Ramos and Cristiano Ronaldo."

Zidane left Real's helm in May and was replaced by Julen Lopetegui, who has since been succeeded by incumbent Santiago Solari. Meanwhile, Odegaard was sent on loan to the Eredivisie for the third season in succession, having spent the previous season-and-a-half at Heerenveen.

The midfielder arrived in Madrid to massive expectations and hasn't managed to impress greatly in Real colours so far, despite the fact Zidane was his Castilla coach upon arrival.

The Frenchman opted not to take Odegaard into Real's first team alongside him, although the former wonderkid, now 20, is beginning to showcase more value as a midfield asset at the senior level, per StatsBomb:

Odegaard has scored five goals and recorded four assists in 21 appearances for Vitesse this season, matching his personal best for goals in a single campaign when he was at Stromsgodset in 2014.

One of his most recent efforts came during a 2-1 win over VVV Venlo in December, via Eleven Sports:

Zidane may not have offered the midfield playmaker the confidence he may have hoped for upon arriving in Spain, but his reaction to such a difficult challenge, particularly for one so young, has been encouraging.

Odegaard spoke further about his initial move to Madrid and the difficulties that came with the transition:

"When I was 16, I went to Madrid with my father, who was my driver, but my mother stayed in Norway with my two sisters.

"Our family has been separated for several years and that was a sacrifice.

"My parents didn't want me to travel on my own as I was just a teenager, but when I got used to it, [my father] returned home."

Not all coaches have the same tact when it comes to player management, and it's clear from Zidane's three successive UEFA Champions League titles with Los Blancos that he was focused on results more than anything else.

It may not have worked to Odegaard's advantage, but the attacking playmaker will hold out hope yet of having a major impact for Real under a different coach.