I trained alongside Arsenal captain Odegaard at Liverpool and now we're rivals in Europe

The Spanish midfielder joined Liverpool's academy and spent three years on Merseyside as he progressed into a first team player after being brought to the club by Rafa Benitez.

During his time with the Reds, he shared the pitch with legends such as Steven Gerrard and Luis Suarez, but there was a future superstar in their midst.

Suso fleetingly played alongside Odegaard when the 15-year-old sensation came to train with Liverpool in 2014, with the view to a potential move for the Norwegian wonderkid.

Speaking about his experience of playing with Odegaard, Suso said: "It was that era when everyone wanted him. He was with us for about a week.

'He stood out because, like now, he had that shock of blond hair and he was a leftie.

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"I'm left-footed so I notice the left-footers more. You could see he had a lot of talent."

Odegaard's journey through Real Madrid to becoming Arsenal captain has been well publicised, with the talented midfielder going on to show exactly why he was so highly rated.

For Suso, it's been a less meteoric rise with a loan spell at Almeria earning him a permanent move to AC Milan, where he spent two seasons out on loan with Genoa and Sevilla.

However after joining Sevilla in 2020, the Spanish winger has won two Europa League titles, with the 29-year-old now hoping to pull off a good result against the Gunners.

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Suso's journey started started with Liverpool, with the winger complimentary about his football upbringing on Merseyside.

He said: "I was only 16 years-old when I joined and I had the option to live with an English family of someone who worked for the club, or to go with a member of my own family and get my own place.

"We asked Rafa what was best and he said that to adapt to the culture and learn the language it was better to live with an English family.

"They were brilliant with me. It was a mum and dad Dee and Phil, and they had three sons, Simon, Robert and Paul. The youngest was my age and the other two were a bit older.

"They were a lovely family. It's true that on the first few days when dinner was served at 7pm they had to explain to me: yes, it's time to go down and eat now.

"I ended up telling them that I couldn't eat that early! That they save some for me and I would reheat it later but at first it was difficult, it was a different culture.

"I'm still in contact with the sons and we spoke ahead of the game against Manchester United in the Europa League last season. I was able to get them tickets and we met up. They were like my second family. They really looked after me."