Ghana midfielder Thomas Partey has opened up about his early days at Atletico Madrid, revealing that sharing the dressing room with iconic strikers Diego Costa and Radamel Falcao served as a major source of motivation and accomplishment for him.
Partey, who initially passed through Leganes before signing for Atletico Madrid, recalled the transition from Ghana to Spain, acknowledging the challenge of leaving his family behind.
However, the opportunity to join a prestigious club like Atletico Madrid and rub shoulders with players he admired from afar fueled his determination.
"Atletico Madrid wanted to sign me, but first of all, I had to go to Leganes because Atletico couldn’t sign me directly as I didn’t have a contract in Ghana. So that was short term, as a big favor from them to process my papers, then I could go to Atletico on a trial loan. That went very well, and then they signed me," Partey revealed.
“I remember when I arrived they had players like Falcao and Diego Costa who I had watched on TV. That was the motivation for me. I knew it was a big chance for me on a big team, so I put everything else behind me. I missed my family a lot, but I was able to control my mind to focus on staying at Atletico and doing well. We had a few other African players at the time, or French African, who were my friends, but to be honest I was close with most of the players. I learnt a bit of English, and could interact with my teammates.”
During his seven-year stint, Partey's time at Atletico Madrid was highly successful, winning La Liga, the UEFA Europa League, and the UEFA Super Cup. In 2020, he made a move to Arsenal, marking a new chapter in his career.