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Conor Gallagher shows true colours with special Chelsea gesture after Atletico Madrid win

Conor Gallagher
-Credit: (Image: Alvaro Medranda/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images)


Conor Gallagher shared a special moment with Chelsea youth players on social media just one month on from his departure from Stamford Bridge.

The 24-year-old left the club for Atletico Madrid in the summer transfer window for a fee worth £35.8million. The switch brought an end to the midfielder's association with the Blues which began when he was just six years old.

The England international was Atletico's second half substitute in their Champions League opener against RB Leipzig on Tuesday night. After the 2-1 win, he was all smiles in a picture he shared with a number of youngsters from Chelsea's academy as they watched the game from the Wanda Metropolitano stands after travelling to Spain for the Madrid Football Cup.

"Great to see some of the academy boys in Madrid. Appreciate you coming to watch me and the team last night. Good luck in the tournament," the former Chelsea star wrote on Instagram.

Conor Gallagher
Conor Gallagher and Chelsea academy youngsters -Credit:Instagram (@conorgallagher92)

Gallagher was one of the players sold by the club after it was made clear that he would not fit into Enzo Maresca's style of football. He penned a five-year deal at Atletico in a prolonged transfer saga.

The move had initially stalled after he agreed personal terms with the Spanish giants due to Samu Omorodion's move to west London collapsing. As a result, Gallagher trained away from his former Chelsea teammates at Cobham and waited to see if a deal would conclude.

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He has since scored his first goal for Atletico in their 3-0 win over Valencia last weekend. "I've felt very wanted and appreciated, which is important for any footballer," he said this week as he opened up on his summer move. "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. It was just (being) full of excitement to be joining Atletico.

"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."