- Conor Gallagher was a second-half substitute as Atletico Madrid beat RB Leipzig
- He posed with Chelsea academy players after they came to watch him play
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Conor Gallagher has been photographed with Chelsea youth players just a month after leaving the Blues.
The 24-year-old moved to Atletico Madrid last month for £34million, ending his 18 years in west London.
Gallagher came on as a second-half substitute for Atletico, who opened their Champions League campaign with a 2-1 win over RB Leipzig on Thursday evening.
And afterwards he was photographed smiling, along with a number of young players from Chelsea’s academy who had come along to see the midfielder, who had travelled to Spain for the Madrid Cup.
“Great to see some of the academy boys in Madrid. Appreciate you coming out to watch me and the team last night. Good luck in the tournament,” Gallagher posted on Instagram.
Conor Gallagher posed with Chelsea youth players who came to watch him play
The midfielder was a substitute as Atletico Madrid came from behind to beat RB Leipzig
Gallaghern signed a five-year contract with Atlético this summer after leaving his boyhood club Chelsea.
In a long story, his transfer was initially halted after he agreed personal terms when the Blues’ move for Samu Omorodion from Atlético fell through.
Gallagher returned to Cobham to train independently and nervously await whether the deal would be completed.
When Enzo Maresca’s side signed Joao Felix from Atletico for £42.7million, he was finally able to make the move to the Spanish capital.
Gallagher scored his first goal for Atlético in the 3-0 win over Valencia and is relishing the chance to impress in Madrid.
“I’ve felt very wanted and valued, which is important for any footballer. Chelsea is a huge football club, one of the biggest in the world, along with Atletico,” the former Crystal Palace loanee said The Athletics.
Gallagher is relishing the chance to impress at Atletico and says he feels valued
“But I’ve taken that exciting step to play Champions League football and compete for trophies. It just gives me more confidence and happiness to play my best football. It was just (full of) excitement to join Atletico.
“When I look back on my memories at Chelsea, I am very proud and honoured to play for the club. It was time to move on and Atletico is the perfect club to start the next chapter in my career. I feel very happy and fortunate to be in this position.”