Thomas Partey: Atletico coach allowed me to mature

by Graeme Jackson

Tuesday Nov 07, 2017. 19:30

Ghanaian midfielder Thomas Partey has explained that a lot of the credit for his current rise to prominence must go to Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone.

The 24-year-old has been in superb form for club and country, notably scoring four goals in his last three matches for the Black Stars, as well as a long-range strike for Atletico against Qarabag in the UEFA Champions League last week.

Yet Partey has had to wait several seasons to become a regular starter for the Spanish giants, with Simeone slowly grooming the Ghanaian into the player he is today.

"Simeone allowing me time to develop was important and I had to wait for my chances," Partey told Kwese ESPN.

"The manager spoke with me many times in the past to keep me involved and now I am playing more.

"He is great at motivating the players and makes it clear to us how he wants us to play and how we can continue to improve," he added.

Partey is set to feature for Ghana when they host Egypt for their final 2018 World Cup qualifier on Sunday.