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Under Diego Simeone, the ten-time La Liga Champions Atletico Madrid have been revamped, and have established themselves as one of the best clubs in world football. While they have often been overpowered by a certain Cristiano Ronaldo in Europe and elsewhere, the club has enjoyed their fair share of success in the last decade or so. Most notably their 2013/14 La Liga winning campaign. Winning a league that contains Real Madrid and Barcelona- arguably two of the best clubs in the history of the sport- is an achievement in itself.
Neither do Atlético have the popularity and resources like Real Madrid and Barcelona, nor do they have the multi-billion dollar ownership of Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain. Despite all these limitations in an extortionate market, Atlético are still one of the leading sides in world football and can hold their head up as one of Europe's most elite club.
One of the reasons for how Atlético manages to stand out in such a competitive market is the club's "Cantera" or youth academy. In the past few years, Atlético have developed many young players into world-class talents and integrated them into their senior setup, and that has gone a long way in helping the club to maintain themselves at the top even in an excessively demanding scenario, and it has also helped the club build a profitable platform for their future.
The list below comprises of the top 5 players who have graduated from Atlético's youth setup.
#5 Gabi
Gabi is known for his hard work, combativeness, and ability to win the ball back. He is more than capable with the ball at his feet as well, the sort of player who could break play and dictate the game on his own. He even possesses the ability to provide exquisite through balls and passes from the midfield.
Gabi joined Atlético Madrid when he was a young boy and slowly made his way up into Atlético's first-team squad and made his debut against Valencia CF in 2004. Finding it difficult to get game-time at Atlético, after a loan spell at Getafe, Gabi joined Real Zaragoza in 2007 in a £9m deal.
Gabi returned to Atletico Madrid in 2011 and helped Atlético to Europa League success in 2011. He later went on to win the 2012-13 Copa del Rey with the club, their first in 17 years.
The following year in 2013-14, he helped Atlético break their long-standing jinx to win their first league title since 1996.
Gabi won many trophies with Atlético including the likes of La Liga, UEFA Europa League(two times), Copa del Rey, Supercopa de España and Uefa Super Cup.
#4 Koke
The current Altético Madrid captain joined the club at a tender age of just eight years. He rose through the ranks at Atlético and made his first-team debut for the club in September 2009. Throughout his career till now, he has been a one-club man.
Koke is a right-footed midfielder, but his versatility allows him to play in many midfield positions, left, right and center. Koke is an excellent passer of the ball, and he can also create a chance or two for his teammates. Koke played his 400th official match for Altético for the club in January 2019, becoming the youngest player to do so, aged just 27.
Former Spain teammate and Barca legend Xavi once quoted about Koke- "He has everything: talent, physical ability, he is a footballer of the present and the future... He has been marked out as the conductor of Spain's orchestra for the next 10 years. I have a special affection for him because we play in the same position and I think he is an extraordinary player."
At Altético, he has already won many trophies in a remarkable career, including the likes of La Liga, UEFA Europa League(two times), Copa del Rey, Supercopa de España and two Uefa Super Cup titles.
#3 David de Gea
The current Man United goalkeeper is regarded by many as the best in his position. David De Gea is an elegant and athletic keeper, who is blessed with spectacular reflexes, agility, and world-class shot-stopping ability. He often comes out on top in one-on-one situations and has the tenacity to change a game on his own with his excellent goalkeeping skills.
De Gea joined Altético Madrid at the age of 13. He grew up in Altético's youth setup and made his first-team debut for them aged 18 in 2009. In his playing career, De Gea has replaced two goalkeeping legends in Iker Casillas, and Edwin Van der Sar in between the sticks in Spain and United respectively.
In an illustrious career, De Gea has been named in the PFA Team of the year four times. The current Spain No.1 also holds the record for joint highest saves(14) in a single game in the Premier League, against Arsenal in a 3-1 win in December 2017.
De Gea has won many major honors to date, including two UEFA Europa Leagues, one UEFA Super Cup, a Premier League title in 2012-13, an FA Cup and an EFL Cup.
#2 Fernando Torres
Torres in his prime was one of the best, if not, the best striker in the world at the time. He had excellent technical ability, pace, and the vision to find himself in space in the opposition box. Torres was a world-class striker with exceptional finishing ability. However, several injuries and loss of form in his later seasons went a long way in hurting his reputation.
Torres inherited his love for Atlético from his grandfather, and he joined his first club Parque, aged just 5. Torres started his career as a goalkeeper, but at 7, he was already playing as a striker in an indoor league for a neighborhood club named Mario's Holland. Three years later, he joined an 11-a-side team Rayo 13. Torres joined Atlético after impressing at Rayo 13 scoring 55 goals in his only season at the club.
Nicknamed 'El niño' by the Spanish fans, Torres played an important part in Spain's World Cup win in 2010. He also won two successive European Cups with Spain in 2008 and 2012. Along with Atlético, He played for some of England's biggest clubs in Liverpool and Chelsea.
In his best years, Torres was just phenomenal. As a player, he won a World Cup, two European Cups, one Champions League with Chelsea, one Europa League and an FA Cup in England.
#1 Raúl González
This is just irony at its best that one of Real Madrid's greatest ever player is a former Atlético Madrid youth product. Unfortunately for Atlético Raúl was a part of the setup when then Atlético president Jesús Gil decided to close the club's academy setup for cost-saving measures. The immediate aftereffects saw the player join Atlético's bitter crosstown rivals Real Madrid.
Raul was a prolific goalscorer and a highly creative forward. The left-footed forward was one of the best strikers of his generation.
At Real Madrid, he wore the iconic No7 jersey and went on to score 323 goals, and become Real's all-time top goalscorer, a record which was later broken by Cristiano Ronaldo. Raúl literally went on to become an all-time great at Real Madrid. During his playing days, he also captained Real Madrid and Spain and was known as 'El Capitan'( The Captain).
In a truly exceptional career with Real Madrid, he won 6 La Liga titles, four Supercopa de España, three Champions League titles, one UEFA Super Cup, two Intercontinental Cups.
