"It's good to rest a bit, but I'd like to be at Euros"

The European Championship is one of the great showcases for players in the summer. There is no footballer who would not want to play in the year in which it is held as it would mean that his country is among the best on the continent. With the tournament featuring up to 24 national teams, it is surprising that one like Norway has been left out altogether.

Erling Haaland and Martin Odegaard have missed out on a European Championship that celebrates the first of its semi-finals on Tuesday. The Arsenal player has spoken about their absence. "I wanted to be in the Euros and I’m pretty disappointed that we didn’t qualify," he began.

"The amount of games we play, the intensity in the games and how tough it is to play football at the biggest stage. It is really demanding so it is a good thing to get some rest. But I would prefer to be there."

The Norwegian footballer recalled how hard it has been for him to lose the Premier League title in Arsenal's last game: "Just after the game, it was a bit flat, a bit empty. We had a big dream and we were so close.

"I really had the feeling something special would happen and so did a lot of people. After the game, it was just disappointment when you are so close and you can see it there, the trophy was there. It’s hard, especially in the beginning. It takes some time to really switch off," he added.