Celtic manager Ronny Deila has asked for patience before passing judgement on Real Madrid’s teenage sensation Martin Odegaard.
The Norwegian grabbed headlines last year to become the youngest ever footballer to play in the European Championship qualifiers at the tender age of 15.
Real Madrid beat off interest from some of the top clubs across Europe to sign Odegaard from Stromsgodset during the winter transfer window.
However, after the initial euphoria of his arrival at the Santiago Bernabeu, Odegaard is struggling to justify the hype surrounding him at the club.
His performances for Real Madrid Castilla have been heavily criticised and he was again taken off after 65 minutes in a 1-1 draw with Tudelano last weekend.
relatedNewsStory
There is speculation that Odegaard is throwing around his weight in Real Madrid’s B team, which has brought his attitude under the scanner.
Deila, who handed Odegaard his debut at Stromsgodset, is confident that the youngster is only going to get better with time and rubbished claims that the 16-year-old has an attitude problem.
"I think he in the future will be better and better", Deila was quoted as saying by the BBC.
"I can assure you that he has no attitude problem. That's 100% certain."
The Celtic boss insisted that Odegaard must be given time to adjust to his surroundings at Real Madrid and stressed that he is still a young boy who is trying to adapt to a new country and a new culture.
"He has been there for two or three months and it's quite early to talk about a 16-year-old boy and if it's good thing or a bad thing that he's gone to Real Madrid.
"He needs time to adapt, learn the language, get into the club situation."
Don't bet on football until you've visited Inside Bet! Interesting markets, top tips, betting facts – get all the info before you bet.
