Conor Gallagher believes he would have proved himself good enough for Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea revolution had he been invited to stay at Stamford Bridge.
Gallagher is starting a new life in Spain after moving to Atletico Madrid last month. The switch brought to an end an association with Chelsea that began when he was six-years-old.
Sold for financial reasons, there is also a theory that new coach Maresco considered the 24-year-old unsuited to the technical style of play he wants to introduce at Chelsea.
But Gallagher said on Thursday: ‘I don’t think that’s true personally. I think last season I had a good season with Chelsea as you could see by Mauricio Pochettino playing me every game and showing his trust in me. And the fans appreciated what I did on the pitch too.
‘I’m very grateful for all of that and very thankful to the fans. And very thankful to Pochettino for giving me that platform to go and express myself and show the best version of myself at Chelsea.
Conor Gallagher has revealed his belief that he could have continued at Chelsea after leaving the club in the summer
The midfielder left Stamford Bridge in the summer after securing a £34m move to Atletico Madrid
Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca (left) didn't believe Gallagher (right) could fit into his system
‘Chelsea make their own decisions and they’ve brought in some top players on long contracts. That wasn’t the situation with me but, in the end, what happened is good for everyone, so everyone is happy.’
Gallagher spoke this week at England’s training centre at St George’s Park ahead of tomorrow’s opening Nations League game in Dublin against the Republic of Ireland. It was the first time he had been asked to give his side of the story after a transfer that left many Chelsea fans unhappy. Indeed they were singing his name as Chelsea lost to Manchester City at home on the opening weekend of the season.
‘In football, things happen,’ he said.
‘With my situation, I’ve left Chelsea but I look back at all my memories and I’m really happy I was able to play for them for the couple of years I did.
‘It was a dream come true. I’m very lucky.
‘As everyone knows, there was a lot going on over the few weeks that it was all happening with Chelsea and Atletico trying to agree a deal. Other situations came into it. But I was always very calm about the situation and I’m really happy with the outcome.’
Gallagher has been impressed so far with his manager in Madrid, Diego Simeone, but for the next week it’s interim England coach Lee Carsley he has to impress.
Gallagher was called up to England's latest squad for the international break by new boss Lee Carsley (left)
Gallagher praised former Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino (left) who he played under last season
Gallagher had a mixed Euros, starting the third game against Slovenia in central midfield only to be taken off at half-time. The only action he saw from that point on was as an 89th minute substitution against the Netherlands in the semi-final.‘There are a lot of good teams and I think we did really well to get to the final,’ Gallagher said.
‘I don’t think we get enough credit as a team, as a squad, for what we did‘I always work as hard as possible to get more playing time and more chances with England but I am really happy with the last few years, with Gareth Southgate and the amount of opportunities he gave me.
‘I am really grateful for that and of course I want to keep pushing on and try and improve to get more chances and more minutes.
‘It is the same for every player. It is no different now that it is another manager, it is still the same focus and the same challenge.’