Álvaro Morata has admitted that he already regrets leaving Atlético Madrid last summer, saying he “should have thought about things more” and it’s a decision he “wouldn’t have taken” in hindsight.

Morata left Atlético for AC Milan in July 2024 — after spending four seasons at the club, in two spells — but moved on again in January, joining Galatasaray on loan, after Milan coach Paulo Fonseca was replaced by Sérgio Conceição.

The Spain international, who captained his country to victory at Euro 2024, has spoken publicly in the past about his mental health challenges, revealing last year that he almost quit the national team after suffering depression and panic attacks.

“In the summer, I should have thought about things more,” Morata told Cadena SER radio on Tuesday. “[I should have thought about] whether to leave Atlético or not. When things aren’t right in certain parts of your life, you take the wrong decisions, not just in football.

“You can’t change it. You have to move forward. We’re very happy, I’m happy with my football, I’m happy with the national team. Next year if all goes well and [Galatasaray] win the league, we’ll be in the Champions League. Turkey might seem a less competitive league, but the Champions League is the Champions League.

“[With hindsight] for sure I wouldn’t have taken [the decision]… I didn’t know how to see the reality. We were European champions, at Atlético there were more and more people who loved me, who understood me. But they are decisions you take in life.”

Morata is in the Spain squad for this week’s UEFA Nations League quarterfinals with the Netherlands.

The forward, 32, played for Real Madrid, Juventus and Chelsea before first joining Atlético in 2019.

He spent a season and a half there, before returning to Juventus in 2020, and then rejoining Atlético in 2022.

During Spain’s Euro 2024 campaign, Morata suggested he would be staying at the LaLiga club, before a change of heart saw him move to Milan.

“When you’re in a difficult moment, things look dark, you don’t see things clearly,” Morata told Cadena SER.

“Even if you have people close to you, who tell you that you’re wrong. Things happen fast, you have to take decisions. I was bothered by the issue [of my future] during the Euros, and the opportunity at Milan came up. You need to feel wanted and valued. But looking back, [coach] Cholo [Simeone] valued and wanted me too.”

Spain play the Netherlands in Rotterdam on Thursday, before the return leg in Valencia on Sunday.