Conor Gallagher says he feels ‘wanted and appreciated’ at Atletico Madrid

Conor Gallagher talked about his transfer to Atletico Madrid from Chelsea, sharing his initial feelings after having been at the club for almost a month now. “It was definitely worth the wait,” he told 'The Athletic', referring to the few weeks in which the deal between Chelsea and Atletico seemed to be on the verge of collapsing. Before the two sides agreed on a fnal fee of €42million, there was a real possibility that the Englishman could remain without a club for the 2023-24 season.
“I’ve felt very wanted and appreciated, which is important for any footballer. Chelsea are a huge football club, one of the biggest in the world, along with Atletico. But I have taken that exciting step of playing Champions League football and challenging for trophies. It just builds me with even more confidence and happiness to play my best football," he revealed. “I’m really happy to be here and I’m settling in well,” he says. “I’ve loved my first few weeks. I knew Atletico was always a massive club, a top club in La Liga and doing well in the Champions League. So I was excited to join".
On Sunday, the 24-year-old scored on his first goal for Atletico in their 3-0 La Liga win against Valencia at the Estadio Metropolitano. “It was really good to win against Valencia and score my first goal. Hopefully, we can build on this and I can gain more confidence.”
Nevertheless, Gallagher shares fond memories of his time at Chelsea, as he said: “When I look back at my memories at Chelsea, I’m very proud and honoured to play for the club. It was time to move on and Atletico is the perfect club to make the next chapter in my career. I feel very lucky and fortunate to be in this position.”
The midfielder also revealed England copatrior Kieran Trippier's influence in his move to the Spanish giants - Trippier spent three seasons with the club and became La Liga champion in the 2020/21 season. “Kieran said that training was very intense, very hard. But he knows me well from England and said it’s perfect for me, for how I am as a player and what I am like at training".
Although adapting to life in Madrid resulted challenging in the beginning, Conor Gallagher is very happy at the club. “It was tough at the start, the weather was very hot, but I’m quite a fit player, I’m able to adapt to the conditions and the intensity that the manager likes me to play at. That’s no problem and it’s only going to get better.” His next fixture with Atletico Madrid will be on Thursday in the Champions League opener against RB Leipzig at the Metropolitano.