Matt Doherty: The signs were there for Atletico Madrid switch

Republic of Ireland international Matt Doherty feels Atletico Madrid are a natural fit for him and is excited by the new challenge after making a surprise transfer to the La Liga side.

Doherty last night agreed to cancel his contract with Tottenham rather than go on loan - to help the Premier League club stay within the maximum number of eight loanees - and the 31-year-old subsequently signed for Atleti on a short-term contract.

"Once I had notification that this was possible it was extremely difficult for me to reject the chance to come over here and play for this club," he told Atletico Madrid's Twitter account.

"I'm very excited. Just from what I've heard from people like [former Spurs and Atletico full-back] Kieran Trippier.

"The way he said that Dicky [Diego Simeone] coaches, the way the players are, he said I'll really enjoy myself here.

"It's going to be very interesting for me to see how they set up in training and seeing the different style of training."

Absolutely love watching Athletico Madrid play