Arthur Vermeeren opens up on 'hard' Atletico Madrid debut – 'I didn’t have a good feeling'

Arthur Vermeeren’s arrival at Atletico Madrid was seen as one of the standout transfers during the winter window. The 18-year-old is regarded as one of the best midfield prospects in Europe, and he should be an important player for Los Rojiblancos, both in terms of now and in the future.

Vermeeren has already made his debut for Atleti, playing the opening 45 minutes of the midweek victory over Rayo Vallecano. As he revealed to Eleven Belgium (via Relevo), it was not an easy experience for the teenager.

“At first I didn’t have a good feeling, but then I said to myself: it’s normal, it’s good that the first game is over. That’s the hardest part. In the first moments I already felt that it was not me. I felt different. It was something new for me because in Antwerp it always worked immediately.

“Did I have nerves? Not really. It’s hard for me to describe, but it was different. Now that I know, I can feel better to prepare.”

Vermeeren is likely to be eased into action by Diego Simeone over the next few weeks, and this should benefit Atletico Madrid in the long run.