I had to scrub my Arsenal past when I joined Tottenham - but my contract was terminated

• Premier League
• Spurs

A former Tottenham Hotspur and Atletico Madrid star has previously refelcted on his time at Spurs

Matt Doherty endured a peculiar start and end to his Tottenham Hotspur career. He arrived from Wolves in 2020, though it quickly became apparent that the full-back had been an Arsenal supporter, immediately creating tension with his new supporters.

Multiple social media posts lauding the Gunners emerged prior to the Republic of Ireland international finalising his £15million transfer. He linked up with Jose Mourinho's squad following several outstanding campaigns with Wolves in the Premier League.

However, the defender was forced to address his history upon joining Spurs. The north London outfit revealed Doherty's signing with a video of him pulling awkward expressions as he deleted his old Arsenal posts, distancing himself from the club's fiercest rivals.

After navigating his former loyalties, Doherty proceeded to feature in 71 matches for the club. Yet he encountered numerous other obstacles throughout his Tottenham spell.

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Fitness issues and competition for places saw the ex-Wolves player slip down the pecking order. Additionally, the right-back provided a stark account of the pre-season difficulties he faced under Antonio Conte in 2022.

"We were throwing up out of both ends by the time we had finished," Doherty recalled to The Athletic in 2024. "That was the hardest pre-season I did. Ever.

"That was crazy. But we hung off every word that he said and rightly so. I can't speak highly enough of him."

Doherty's time with Spurs ended in unusual circumstances in January 2023. He secured a permanent transfer to Atletico Madrid, who Spurs face on Wednesday in the second leg of their Champions League round-of-16 tie.

The full-back appeared poised to join the Spanish side on a temporary basis before Tottenham chose to terminate Doherty's contract, enabling him to complete a free transfer to Atleti. Spurs agreed to end his deal 18 months early as the club had already sent a maximum of eight players on international loans.

"I never imagined at the time something like this would be able to happen," Doherty said at his unveiling. "Back in time when I was doing everything my dream initially was to play in the Premier League. I fulfilled that dream.

"But opportunities come that are unexpected at times and this was an opportunity I saw that if I made the move I could better myself as a person, exploring different cultures and different football. Like I said before, once the opportunity came it was impossible for me to give it up."

Doherty ultimately featured just twice for Diego Simeone's side before his short-term contract expired. The 34-year-old rejoined his previous club Wolves on a free transfer in 2023.