Thomas Partey: Playing for Atletico is a dream come true

Atletico Madrid midfielder, Thomas Partey, has described his rise to fame in football as a dream come through as he prepares for his side’s UEFA Champions League quarterfinal encounter with RB Leipzig.

Partey told the club’s official website that he never imagined playing for an European giant at the highest level.

The 27-year-old Ghanaian left the shores of the country in 2011 to sign with Spanish giants Atletico Madrid but was loaned to Real Mallorca.

Partey returned to Atletico in 2015 after several loans in 2015 to establish himself as one of the best players in the team by making over 150 appearances.

According to the former Tema Youth player, he sometimes wonders how he managed to reach the pinnacle of the sport considering how difficult his upbringing was.

“It’s a dream come true for me,” he told the official club website. “Sometimes, I can’t believe I am here because I look back at my friends and I can’t even imagine myself here.

“I sometimes want to ask them, what have I done to be here? Why are they not here?

“But then I tell myself it is because I was patient, I was not in a hurry to make it. I feel I have to congratulate myself all the time because it is not easy to reach this level.”

Partey has been linked to Arsenal this summer as manager Mikel Arteta looks forward to bolster his squad ahead of next season.