Saul Niguez has revealed he is grateful to Chelsea for the chance to spend the 2021/22 season on loan at Stamford Bridge despite failing to impress.
The Spaniard was a surprise arrival for the Blues last season but did not assert himself in Thomas Tuchel's starting XI and was often disappointing when he did play.
Now back at Atletico Madrid, Saul told the club's website of his experience in England and what he enjoyed from his year away from Wanda Metropolitano.
"Despite the fact that I didn't have the desired minutes, I think it was a good experience for me to go out at a time when I wasn't feeling well mentally," he said.
"I have been able to reset, learn from a new culture, lead a new life, meet a new club, fans. I can only be grateful to all the people at Chelsea for their trust and to my teammates for making the year very bearable and helping me, and to Atleti for having made it easier.
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"I think that this season has helped me to improve in many aspects, I have learned a lot and that will come in handy for this new season."
Saul confirmed at the start of June that he was not staying permanently with Chelsea, instead returning to an Atletico side looking to improve on a finish of third in La Liga last season.
Source : 90min