Arsenal have plenty of supporters – even among professional footballers

Even top level footballers start off in life supporting their boyhood club. But the minority of those who go on to become elite level players have to park their allegiances at the door – just ask Atletico Madrid new boy Morten Hjulmand.

Hjulmand, who recently signed a five-year deal with Atletico Madrid for a fee of around £34million, was an Arsenal fan growing up. Indeed, so strong was his support for the Gunners that even had a tattoo of the club's iconic crest inked on his body - something he has since had removed.

The 27-year-old's tattoo has been spotted numerous times during training sessions. Hjulmand has spoken out about this ink during his first interview as an Atleti player, claiming that the Gunners art 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."

Hjulmand actually came up against Arsenal in the Champions League last season during the quarter-final stage. The defensive midfielder played out the entire second game against the Gunners, with Kai Havertz's last-minute winner in the first leg doing enough to carry his team to the semi-finals.

The 27-year-old's new team was up next for Arsenal in the European competition and Mikel Arteta's side beat them 2-1 on aggregate to make it to the final. Now, Hjulmand is putting his former passion for Arsenal to the side 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.

"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."

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