Atletico Madrid's new signing Morten Hjulmand has revealed he had his Arsenal tattoo removed after turning professional, stating that supporting the Gunners is now part of his past.
The 27-year-old defensive midfielder, who recently signed a five-year deal with Atletico Madrid for a fee of around £34million, was an Arsenal fan growing up. His support was so strong that he had the club's iconic crest tattooed on his body, but he has since had it removed.
Tattoo spotted in training
Hjulmand's tattoo was spotted numerous times during training sessions. In his first interview as an Atletico player, he spoke about the ink, confirming it is no longer on his body.
He told Marca: "No, I was an Arsenal fan when I was a kid, but I don't have that tattoo anymore; it's part of my past."
"After turning professional, when I moved to Austria, my mindset about being a fan changed because now I'm in the professional world as a player. So I don't follow the club like I used to because I have this profession now."
Champions League clash
Hjulmand came up against Arsenal in the Champions League quarter-final last season. He played the entire second leg against the Gunners, with Kai Havertz's last-minute winner in the first leg enough to carry his team to the semi-finals.
Atletico Madrid were next up for Arsenal in the European competition, and Mikel Arteta's side beat them 2-1 on aggregate to reach the final. Now, Hjulmand is putting his former passion for Arsenal aside as he targets silverware with the La Liga giants.
He said: "Yes, last season we came very close, and hopefully we can reach that goal again this season with Atlético. It's going to be a big challenge to win it."
Targeting silverware
"They came close last season, but of course Atlético, given the size of the club, wants to win the Champions League. But we also have the Copa del Rey and La Liga, which are also important competitions for us. So the typical answer is step by step, game by game, and we'll see where we stand in the end."
"I think the quality of the squad is very good. We have a lot of depth and many quality players in every position, so I'm very happy with that."
