Members of the Tottenham squad were 'left shocked' by news that former defender Matt Doherty departed permanently on deadline day.

The Lowdown: Doherty joins Atletico...

The Republic of Ireland international, in a dramatic late deadline day twist, joined La Liga giants Atletico Madrid on a six-month permanent deal.

Spurs and the player mutually agreed to the termination of his Lilywhites deal after the club used up their maximin quota of eight squad members they could loan abroad.

FIFA rules say only eight can be on temporary deals in Europe at one time, giving the Premier League side no choice but to cancel Doherty's contract.

The Latest: Spurs players 'shocked'...

According to reliable journalist Alasdair Gold, some members of the Spurs squad were left 'shocked' after news of Doherty's permanent exit to Atletico.

He explained:

"Understand Matt Doherty's Spurs team-mates were left shocked when they heard about the sudden change in his situation on Tuesday."

The Verdict: Shame...

The 31-year-old, at points during Antonio Conte's reign, had enjoyed some brilliant performances - most notably toward the back end of last season and before his 2021/2022 injury.

However, this campaign he was largely second-choice to Emerson Royal in the right-wing-back position.

Doherty's deal was also set to expire in 2024, meaning Spurs were faced with the looming task of deciding his long-term future at the club.

It was perhaps inevitable that the former Wolves star would depart N17 sooner rather than later and one regret Tottenham will have is not acquiring a small fee for his services.

Doherty joined the club from Molineux in 2020 as one of former manager Jose Mourinho's very first signings but now leaves Spurs in a very surprise fashion just under three years later.