This Gallagher can shine in Qatar football Oasis
GRAHAM POTTER believes World Cup new boy Conor Gallagher can become a key player for England in Qatar.
The all-action midfielder (right) was one of the surprise choices in England coach Gareth Southgate’s squad for the World Cup.
Gallagher, 22, has only four caps and two starts for England going into the tournament, but such has been the Chelsea man’s form that Southgate has opted to take him to Qatar. And Potter believes he has made the right choice because Gallagher can find “solutions” on the pitch.
Chelsea face a tricky final game before the World Cup at Newcastle today, going into the match without a win in their last four league games.
But Gallagher at least will be on a high and Potter reckons the Chelsea academy graduate could become a lynchpin for England. The Blues
manager said: “Why not? Conor has a nice knack of finding solutions on the pitch – he can make something happen.
“He will give everything every day, there won’t be a problem from him if he’s selected or not, which is important if you’re in a squad.
“It’s a wonderful experience and a wonderful opportunity. He will grasp it with everything he has, make the most of it and definitely come back better.
“He is really impressive in terms of how he conducts himself, how he trains. He gives his best all the time and plays the game full of intensity.
“Of course there is more to come. You don’t want to get too excited because there is a long way to go. But he has an exciting future ahead of him.”
The remnants of Chelsea’s squad will fly to Abu Dhabi next month for warmweather training during the World Cup.
But with the world discussing climate change at the COP27 conference, Potter admitted that solutions have to be found as an alternative to aviation, a major cause of global warming.
He said: “If you want warm-weather training, I understand but the emissions from long-haul flights is not great.
“How we fly to Premier League games is also something to consider. We should be able to find a solution.”