Conor Gallagher hailed by Atletico Madrid legend after flying start as Diego Simeone claim made
England international midfielder Conor Gallagher joined Atletico Madrid from Chelsea in August and has already made a big impact under manager Diego Simeone in Spain
by Tom Victor · The MirrorConor Gallagher already looks like he’s been at Atletico Madrid for a long time, according to club legend Raul Garcia.
Gallagher joined the Spanish club from Chelsea over the summer and has scored twice in his first five La Liga appearances. The England midfielder netted on his first home start for Diego Simeone’s team, and also scored in a 1-1 draw against Rayo Vallecano
Atletico take on Real Madrid on Sunday, and Garcia has already been impressed. While Chelsea have picked up results without the academy product, there's no doubt about Gallagher's impact in the Spanish capital.
He is one of a number of new arrivals after a summer of spending under Simeone, with Julian Alvarez and Alexander Sorloth among the others brought on board. While some might need longer than others to adapt, Gallagher appears to have slotted right in.
“Yes I did see him play for Chelsea, but I think at Atletico Madrid it's as if he had already been there for a long time and he's achieved a very high level,” said Garcia, who played more than 300 times for Atleti and won the league in 2014. The Spanish international, 38, admitted to watching a little less football than normal after hanging up his boots over the summer, but has found time to see his old employers in action.
“I think that he's really working well in the club, he's supported by the fans and that's a very positive thing too for his adaptation process - for it to be much more simple," he continued. "But I think in this regard, Simeone thinks he's a player who is not only technically very good, he's very fast and he's a scorer too.
“Defensively he helps a lot and tactically speaking, I think he tries to do things well too, and in that regard [Simeone] has always considered that to be very important and that's why he plays, and I know that he's going to be one of the most outstanding players in the season.”
Can Conor Gallagher inspire Atletico Madrid to a derby win? Have your say in the comments section
Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid are both unbeaten going into the match, but Barcelona sit above both of them after winning their first seven La Liga games. It will be Real Madrid’s first derby since the retirement of Toni Kroos after 10 seasons with the club.
"it's difficult not to feel the absence of a player like Toni Kroos, because it is true that the matches i've seen played by Real Madrid, perhaps they are missing those features that Toni provided them with," Garcia added. "In other words, somebody that initiated the play itself.
“It's normal to see that someone like Toni, now that he's not here, is going to be missed. They'll have to look for other alternatives, which is what they are already doing, but Toni Kroos has been one of the best players in the world and it's normal for them to miss this player too.”
Atleti boss Simeone joined the club in 2011, midway through Garcia's spell. Their 2014 title win was a first in 18 years for the club, and they were beaten by Real Madrid in the Champions League final that same season.
Pamplona-born Garcia left in 2015, returning to the Basque Country with Athletic Club. Simeone remains, though, and his former player has been able to shed some light on how the Argentine is likely to approach the derby.
"The term 'calm' or 'take it easy', i think those are things that don't exist because we know Cholo is a very passionate kind of guy and he is somebody that really is a hard worker," he explained. "He's also a clever guy, too, because he knows that you don't really have to motivate the players to play matches at this level.
"But he always knows how to reach out to the players or to the team when these matches have to be played, and the good thing about him is that he doesn't always act in the same manner. Sometimes he focuses on the groups, sometimes he focuses on the individual, but I think he knows how to reach out to the players and he knows how to understand these important moments and how to deal with them too."
Watch the Madrid Derby this Sunday at 8pm on LALIGATV and ITV4. Showing ‘All of LALIGA, All in one place’, LALIGATV is available exclusively in the UK via Premier Sports, from just £7.99/month.
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