England striker Harry Kane has labelled Chelsea loanee Conor Gallagher “great” after what he did in the Three Lions’ latest international fixture against Switzerland
Chelsea youngster Conor Gallagher received big praise in the national media after his individual performance for England on Saturday.( image: Getty Images)
The Chelsea midfielder, who is on loan at Crystal Palace, produced a stand-out performance in the 2-1 friendly win at Wembley.
He assisted Luke Shaw’s equaliser during the victory in a friendly match at Wembley Stadium, and really caught the eye during his hour on the pitch before being substituted off with numerous teammates.
“Conor was great”, Kane reflected in his post-match Sky Sports interview.
“I have to be totally honest, I really like him but I didn’t see him becoming the player he has,” Harry Kane said.
“I watched him a lot in the Chelsea youth team and he was a good technical player, what’s made the difference for him is confidence and scoring goals. When you see yourself in headlines, scoring goals live on Sky against Everton, they are the moments where everyone talks about you. People will go out in the garden and try and replicate those moments. He’s nicking in with goals, scruffy goals, getting his numbers up, that’s what gets you noticed.”
“I think as a footballer you notice that. When you’re playing okay, getting 7/10 that’s fine. It’s when you start scoring goals, that’s what gets you on the back pages, that’s when people start to talk about you in a different light as a midfield player. He’s become a complete one.”
After Gallagher’s big involvement in the all-important equaliser in this fixture, England began to dominate the proceedings in the second half and were rewarded courtesy of a late penalty that Kane tucked away as he moved level with Bobby Charlton on all-time England goals, just four short of Wayne Rooney’s record.
Gallagher himself reflected on his own performance in his own post-match press conference at Wembley.
Conor Gallagher hoping to ‘get a shot’ in England’s 2022 World Cup squad in Qatar. (Getty Images)
“It felt amazing. It was my first time playing at Wembley. It was a very proud moment. It was a massive buzz with all those fans and my parents watching too,” he reflected.
“I wasn’t sure if I was going to get the call-up. The role I played today was very similar to the one I’ve been playing all season.”
He will return to Stamford Bridge in the summer, with Thomas Tuchel planning to include him in his first-team squad next season.