13 June 2024 , 21:30
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Conor Gallagher could have been lining up for Scotland in Munich in the Euro 2024 opener … but was not considered good enough.
The Chelsea midfielder, who qualified through his late grandfather, went for ‘trials’ for Scotland ’s junior set-up but did not make the cut. But now he is battling for a starting spot in Gareth Southgate ’s team for England’s first Group C match against Serbia on Sunday.
He laughed: “When I was 15 or 16, I wasn’t good enough to play for the England youth team so I went to train with one of the Scotland teams to see what I was like … and I wasn’t good enough for them either!
“So I managed to work my way back into the England youth set-up and was lucky enough to stay in it.”
Gallagher and the rest of the England squad will be watching the Germany-Scotland clash at their camp in Blankenhain on Friday night before heading to Gelsenkirchen on Saturday for their showdown with the Serbs.
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Gallagher’s form for Chelsea has been so impressive that he is a serious contender to partner Declan Rice in the centre of Southgate’s midfield. And the 24-year-old gives Maurcio Pochettino, who lasted only one season at Stamford Bridge, huge credit for his development on the elite stage.
He explained: “I think I have come a long way this season and I give a lot of credit to Pochettino and what he has done for me.
“He gave me responsibility and trust at Chelsea and put me in a better position to be a bigger part of the squad at this tournament and I'll do as much as I can to help England in the tournament.”
England training on Thursday at Weimarer Land Team base, Germany. Conor Gallagher answers press questions at the Team Media baseGallagher did not see any action at Qatar 2022 even though he was part of the squad but he feels like a different player out here in Germany.
He explained: “In Qatar I was kind of expected not to play in a way, I still loved the experience and was so honoured to be there but I never expected to come on or start games. It is a couple of years on and I'm in a different position,
“A lot of credit to Pochettino for giving me that opportunity to show Chelsea what I could do and, hopefully, there is still room for improvement.”
And while he says he is “excited” at the prospect of working with new club boss, Enzo Maresca, Gallagher is clearly gutted that Pochettino has left, saying: “He (Pochettino) has done so much for me so I was sad for him and the coaching staff.
Eberechi Eze congratulates Gallagher on winning a game of pool“He showed belief and trust in me, which is all a player wants, to be honest. If a manager shows you a bit of love, it makes you play better. Long story short, it gives you confidence and that's what it gave me.”
Gallagher’s Chelsea contract only has a year to run and he has been linked with moves to Spurs and Aston Villa. But Gallagher insists all the talk about his Premier League future is not a distraction at the Euros.
He said: “I'm a Chelsea player right now and I am just focused on England and the tournament. It is not difficult, I'm in a very privileged position to be at a tournament like this and I couldn't be happier with my situation.”
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