Chelsea star speaks out on his treatment by Gareth Southgate at Euro 2024
Conor Gallagher has addressed his role in Gareth Southgate’s England squad at Euro 2024 so far.
The Chelsea midfielder has featured in all four of the Three Lions’ games in Germany so far but has had to remain patient with only one of those outings coming from the start.
Even in that match against Slovenia at the end of the group stage, Gallagher was withdrawn at half-time as England floundered to a 0-0 draw in Cologne, while he’s notched up just 72 minutes across his other three appearances combined.
The 24-year-old is unsurprisingly disappointed in his share of minutes at Euro 2024 so far, but has credited Southgate’s communication skills and cherishes the opportunity to start a major tournament game for his country.
“Obviously, it is not nice and you want to play as much as possible,” Gallagher told talkSPORT.
“Getting an opportunity to start a game for England at a major tournament is incredible and I was really excited.
“But it was a really difficult game, I don’t think we were playing particularly great. We weren’t really creating any chances.
“I understand the manager wanted to change a couple of things tactically and bringing on Kobbie [Mainoo] to come a little deeper and pick up the ball, completely understandable.
“What is great about the manager is that he came and told me before he told the team so I knew and it was fine.
“Obviously, you want to play as much as possible but I completely understand.”
England blessed with multi-skilled midfield pool, says Gallagher
Finding someone to partner Declan Rice has been one of Southgate’s biggest headaches this summer, with Gallagher just one option to see the field alongside Kobbie Mainoo and Trent Alexander-Arnold, while Crystal Palace youngster Adam Wharton is also in the squad.
But Gallagher has defended Southgate, insisting the chopping and changing has been down to the manager picking the player with the best skillset for the job as a result of having such a varied group available to him.
“We are all kind of different and I think in these games that we have had so far, the gaffer has chosen the player who he thinks is best suited to the game,” said Gallagher.
“Me, personally, I will always bring energy and work as hard as I can going forward and defensively but then you’ve got, say, Trent [Alexander-Arnold], who can pick out a pass from anywhere and is great on the ball and Kobbie, who is amazing on the ball and is so confident.
“Adam [Wharton] is the same, moves the ball so well, passes the ball so well. I think everyone is a bit different but it is always healthy competition.”
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