Matt Doherty leaves Atlético Madrid | OneFootball

Ireland international Matt Doherty has confirmed on his official Instagram account that he is leaving Atlético Madrid after a brief spell at the club.

The 31-year-old right-back arrived in the January transfer window after terminating his contract with Tottenham but never got a regular run in Diego Simeone’s side, who finished the La Liga season in third place.

“It’s an opportunity to improve myself, to work with a world-class coach. I’m here until the end of the season, but it doesn’t have to be an end. In principle, it’s six months, but if I do well, we’ll see what happens after that,” the first ever Irishman to wear the Atlético shirt said at his official presentation.

At the Metropolitano, Doherty was generally an unused sub due to the form of World Cup winner Nahuel Molina, and he only played five minutes against Cádiz and 13 minutes against Sevilla.

“Good luck in the future to my friends. Thank you Atlético,” he wrote on Instagram on Tuesday. His contract has not been extended with Atlético and he is free to look for a new club.

Kieran Quaile | GSFN