Atletico's Player of the Month Diego Costa thanks fans for their vote

Spain forward Diego Costa on Thursday expressed his gratitude to Atletico Madrid's fans for voting him Player of the Month for January, after beginning his second spell at the La Liga club.

The 29-year-old has played six matches since he was registered as an Atleti player on January 1, scoring three goals and assisting on two, reports Efe.

"I want to thank the fans for their love and for this award. It means a lot to me, to come back and win it in my first month. A big thank you to everyone," Costa said in a video posted to the club's website.

Costa rejoined Atletico from Chelsea in the summer transfer window but was unable to take part in matches until the beginning of this year, as FIFA's Disciplinary Committee had barred Atletico from registering new players for two transfer windows due to irregularities in signing minors in January 2016.

"To play again for this shirt and team, I really wanted that. There is nothing better than starting off well, scoring goals and helping the team," he added.

Atletico Madrid is due to play Malaga on Saturday in a La Liga match at La Rosaleda Stadium.

"To win or get a point, we need to give it our all in order to play a complete game," he continued.

--IANS

tri/bg