Ex-Arsenal fan Hjulmand had Gunners tattoo removed after signing his first pro deal

Morten Hjulmand has revealed he had an Arsenal tattoo removed from his body after turning professional, the Danish midfielder explaining that his identity as a supporter gave way to his career once he made the step up to elite football.

Hjulmand, 27, joined Atletico Madrid on a five-year deal for around £34 million and addressed the ink — which had been spotted during training sessions — in his first interview as an Atleti player. Speaking to Marca, he was direct about where that chapter of his life now stands.

“I was an Arsenal fan when I was a kid, but I don’t have that tattoo anymore; it’s part of my past,” he said. “After turning professional, when I moved to Austria, my mindset about being a fan changed because now I’m in the professional world as a player. So I don’t follow the club like I used to because I have this profession now.”

The timing of his move carries a certain irony. Hjulmand faced Arsenal in last season’s Champions League quarter-finals while at Sporting CP, playing the full 90 minutes of the second leg. Kai Havertz’s last-minute winner in the first leg proved decisive, sending Sporting through on aggregate. Arsenal then eliminated Atletico Madrid 2-1 on aggregate in the semi-finals to reach the final — meaning Hjulmand’s new club were the side that ended his old one’s European run.

Now at the Wanda Metropolitano, Hjulmand has set his sights firmly on winning silverware with Diego Simeone’s side. “Last season we came very close, and hopefully we can reach that goal again this season with Atlético,” he said. “It’s going to be a big challenge to win it. They also have the Copa del Rey and La Liga, which are important competitions. So the typical answer is step by step, game by game, and we’ll see where we stand in the end.”

He was equally positive about the squad he has joined. “The quality is very good. We have a lot of depth and many quality players in every position, so I’m very happy with that.”

For Hjulmand, the tattoo removal is less a rejection of his roots than a practical acknowledgement of professional life — a clean slate as he begins what he hopes will be a trophy-laden chapter in Madrid.