He's a legal alien, he's an Englishman in Madrid

Only eight players in history have worn the Madrid giants' jerseys. Six of them represented Real, and one of them - Jude Bellingham - still does. Some were better reinforcements, some were worse, but all had a certain "aura" suitable for the most popular club in the world. It's simple - for a "celebrity" club, you need "celebrity" players.

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Of course, the first that comes to mind is David Beckham, whose quarrel with Sir Alex Ferguson in 2003 sent him into Florentino Perez's arms in one of the biggest "marketing moves" ever in football - with all due respect to Beckham's immense quality. Similarly, twenty-four years earlier, Laurie Cunningham arrived at Santiago Bernabeu as the first-ever British player at Real and the first-ever black England international.

There were busts like Jonathan Woodgate, for instance, who came with the label of key defensive players in Newcastle's 2003/2004 Champions League campaign. Still, he fell short. However, neither Steve McManaman, one of the best Liverpool players at the time, nor Michael Owen, the biggest prospect of English football in the past 30 years, can be neglected.

All in all, players from England were always Real's thing, never Atletico's. Until 2019, when Kieran Trippier joined Diego Simeone's crew, revived his career in three years at Metropolitano Stadium, and then returned to Newcastle. Still, despite having a decent spell with Los Colchoneros, the defender was in the shadow most of the time, even after scoring a free-kick beauty in the 2018 FIFA World Cup semi-final against Croatia.

The same thing seems to be happening to Conor Gallagher - only the second Englishman to wear the red and white jersey. Chelsea made numerous cuts during the latest transfer window, including getting rid of the club's child. The 24-year-old stoically accepted the Blues' decision, even though it couldn't have been easy for him to face "exile" from the club he spent 15 years at.

His move to Madrid went somewhat under the radar, welcomed with a doze of condescension and sneer. As if everyone expected him to stay in England - like he could face the club to which he gave his teenage years with a straight face, treating games against Chelsea as some usual, everyday obligations. No, he had to leave genuinely.

In the last days of the transfer window, Atletico signed two more players alongside him - Alexander Sorloth and Julian Alvarez, the second La Liga top scorer in the previous season and the outstanding reinforcement from Man City. Gallagher was again in the shadow.

However, once he stepped on the Metropolitano Stadium's pitch, he started showing class and proving that he was Los Colchoneros' most significant addition, scoring in two consecutive games for the first time since November 2021 with Crystal Palace and being named "Man of the Match" two times in a row.

Looking at Gallagher's determination, it's only the beginning. Sooner or later, his performances will draw Chelsea's attention, and they will want him back. The question is whether Conor would be willing to return and mend fences with the club that turned back on him, wiping the slate clean entirely.

LA LIGA - MATCHDAY 7

Tuesday

20:00: (2.10) Valencia (3.20) Osasuna (4.20)

20:00: (1.70) Sevilla (3.60) Valladolid (5.30)

22:00: (1.20) Real Madrid (6.75) Alaves (14.0)

Wednesday

20:00: (1.80) Girona (3.50) Rayo Vallecano (4.70)

22:00: (1.25) Barcelona (6.00) Getafe (11.0)

Thursday

20:00: (3.35) Espanyol (3.45) Villareal (2.15)

20:00: (3.15) Las Palmas (3.35) Betis (2.45)

20:00: (4.20) Celta (3.60) Atl.Madrid (1.95)

***odds are subject to change***