Roy Keane poked fun at Martin Odegaard’s praise after Chelsea match

Martin Odegaard made a comeback from injury for Arsenal this month. (Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images)

Martin Odegaard earned praise after playing the full 96 minutes of Arsenal’s 1-1 draw against Chelsea following his return from injury, but not from ex-Manchester United captain Roy Keane.

Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard received praise for playing 96 minutes against Chelsea shortly after returning from an ankle injury. The midfielder returned to action earlier this month against Inter Milan in the Champions League, but he only played one minute in the 1-0 loss. He missed a significant portion of the Gunners’ season after injuring his ankle during the September international break while playing for Norway.

Just four days later, Odegaard started in Arsenal’s hard-fought 1-1 draw against Chelsea in the Premier League, playing the entire 96 minutes despite his recent injury.

The Gunners’ talisman demonstrated his importance to the team with his assist for Gabriel Martinelli’s goal and his ability to remain on the pitch for the whole game. Many fans expected him to be substituted during the match to gradually increase his workload after his injury.

Ian Wright and Jill Scott praised the Arsenal midfield maestro during a discussion of this topic on a Sky edition of The Overlap. “He needs plaudits for that because usually when you come back, especially after an ankle injury, it’s like 30 minutes your first game, then 60. He did well to get through 96 minutes,” Scott said.

But the former Manchester United captain Roy Keane was not impressed. Keane mocked the accolades, stating, “It’s his job, isn’t it?” He compared Odegaard’s performance to a pilot completing an 8-hour flight, saying, “Oh, I can only do 6… Jesus, 96 minutes? Praise the Lord!”

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