Speaking ahead of England’s game against Malta tonight, Gareth Southgate has praised Conor Gallagher’s “outstanding” mentality as a player.
It’s something we’ve seen a lot of already as Chelsea fans – the academy product has a ferocious work rate on and off the pitch, and shows dedication and selflessness to a degree you don’t often see even among top professionals.
It’s brought him a key role in the Chelsea team despite the scorn of plenty of fans who want more exotic names, and is now cementing him an important role in the England squad too.
Southgate’s anecdotes about Gallagher sum it all up:
“His journey is really interesting, because with some of our players who have come into the squad young, their talent has been obvious and you would probably have picked them up at 15, 16 or 17,” Southgate in quotes picked up by the Evening Standard.
“But Conor is perhaps a slower burner in terms of how external people might have viewed him.
“He has got tremendous drive. This week is a classic for me. He has come with a bit of a knock from the weekend, but he walked through the door saying, ‘It is a bit sore, but I will be fine for Friday’.
“There was no way he was going home, there was no way he wasn’t going to give himself every chance.
“He wasn’t able to train for the first few days, but he was determined he would be available — and that, in a nutshell, is what is going to be one of his greatest strengths which will allow himself to achieve everything he might in the game. His mentality is outstanding.”
Pochettino has loved him from day one, as have the other coaches who have worked with him at Chelsea, along with those who have taken him on loan. It looks like Southgate has joined the club too now.
