England manager Gareth Southgate has told Conor Gallagher that his chances of representing his country at the will not be dashed if he returns to in the summer.
Midfielder, Gallagher, is currently on-loan at but is set to be recalled by his parent club Chelsea at the end of the season following a number of impressive performances for the Eagles.
With Chelsea flush with attacking midfield talent, there are concerns that playing time will be of short supply for Gallagher at Stamford Bridge. However, Southgate believes the 23-year-old will be taken well under ’s wing.
‘In the end we have to pick and react off what we see at club level and Conor’s experiences at Charlton, Swansea, West Brom and Crystal Palace have been brilliant for him,’ Southgate said. ‘So if he goes somewhere else next season or stays at Chelsea, I’m sure he’ll keep developing.
‘He’s got a fabulous mindset, which is the key. He’s a player that will maximise his potential because of his mentality.
‘He looks like one of those who, whatever hurdles are in front of him, he’s going to break them down. I’d be very optimistic about how he would respond to any decision that is made.’
Gallagher recorded his first start for England against Switzerland on Saturday where he assisted Luke Shaw’s equaliser.
Yet, despite Gallagher’s encouraging introduction to his England career, there are a number of other promising players also vying for a place in the World Cup squad.
Those such as Borussia Dortmund’s Jude Bellingham are making huge strides in Germany and Southgate believes that friendlies like tonight’s match against the Ivory Coast are fine opportunities to test out young players like Bellingham.
‘[Bellingham] is developing exceptionally well for a player of his age,’ said Southgate. ‘He is being asked to play in a number of different positions this year. He has different tactical challenges to deal with.
‘The [Bundesliga] is a brilliant league for young players and coaches to develop, but the standard of the Premier League is undoubtedly higher.
‘I think we see that in the European competitions. Our top teams are going to be right at the end of the Champions League every year. The financial power of our league is blowing everyone else out of the water, so our big teams are going to be the main players.
‘We’ve talked to him about his game this week. There are things, understandably for any player, for him to work on and some specifics we are looking for from him. But he is very coachable, wants to learn and is highly motivated.
‘He is already getting brilliant experiences with club and European football already, so he’ll be involved in the game and it will be good to see how he does.’
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