Conor Gallagher admitted he was sad to see Mauricio Pochettino leave Chelsea but is putting his own future to focus on England’s Euro 2024 campaign.
Gallagher became a key man at Stamford Bridge last season, making 50 appearances with the majority as captain under Pochettino.
The Argentine has left the Blues after a sixth-place finish and been replaced by former Leicester manager Enzo Maresca.
And after sealing his Euros place thanks to his consistent form with Pochettino at the helm, the midfielder admitted his departure was tough to take.
“Of course he has done so much for me so I was sad,” Gallagher said on Pochettino’s exit.
“Sad for him and coaching staff but really excited about the new manager coming in and myself and everyone at Chelsea is really excited to work with him.
“I think I have come a long way this season, I give a lot of credit to Pochettino and what he has done for me, gave me responsibility and trust at Chelsea.
“That puts 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.
“He just showed his 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.”
“I’ve come a long way, I give a lot of credit to Pochettino” 👏
Conor Gallagher thanks former Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino for giving him extra responsibility as captain last season 🔵 pic.twitter.com/YgzgP82SlT
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) June 13, 2024
Future talk can wait
One of the reasons for Pochettino’s mutual departure was reportedly due to the potential sale of Gallagher, who could be offloaded Chelsea chiefs due to profit and sustainability reasons.
He has been strongly linked with a move to the likes of Aston Villa, West Ham and Tottenham.
But the 24-year-old says he will put talks about his future to one side as he hopes to help England secure glory in Germany.
“I’m a Chelsea player right now and like I said I am just focused on England and the tournament,” Gallagher added.
“I have just been focusing on England, this is the most important thing right now for me, for the country and I just want to start the tournament now.
“It is not difficult, I’m in a very privileged position to play for England and be at a tournament like this and I couldn’t be happier with the situation.”
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