Conor Gallagher has admitted he could not believe he was given the chance to captain Chelsea earlier this season.
Reece James was named the new permanent captain this summer but, having been ruled out through injury, the armband has largely been worn by left-back Ben Chilwell, who is the squad’s vice-captain.
However, with Chilwell off the pitch against both Wimbledon and Bournemouth, Gallagher has worn the armband, with the chance to lead his team in the Premier League not something he takes lightly.
“Against Bournemouth I had no idea I was captain,” he told club media. “I didn’t think I would be, if I’m being honest.
“But I lifted up my kit to arrange it before I put it on and the armband was there. I said to the kitman, ‘Is this mine?’ and he said, ‘Yeah’, so that’s how I found out.
“To captain the side on a couple of occasions is really special. My parents are really proud too. There was no phone service in the changing room, so they didn’t get my message. They just saw me on the pitch with the armband, but I think that was a nicer surprise anyway.”
Chelsea officials were open to selling Gallagher this summer and received interest from the likes of Tottenham Hotspur and Bayern Munich, but as 90min revealed, the midfielder’s priority has always been to stay and fight for his future.
While his standing in the eyes of the board may be unclear, Gallagher has proven to be a dependable player under manager Mauricio Pochettino. Indeed, only Axel Disasi, Levi Colwill and goalkeeper Robert Sanchez have played more minutes under the new boss this season.
Making it clear he hopes to continue shining at Chelsea, Gallagher added: “My dream was just to play for Chelsea, which I achieved. But then, like everyone in life, I set myself new targets. After I made my debut for Chelsea, then it was to play as many games as I can, then to start scoring more goals and getting more assists and just helping the team in that way. Hopefully there’s a lot more to come, but I’m proud of what’s happened so far.
“I was captain for the Under-18s a few years back so I kind of half-know the responsibility of captaining a team. I’m really grateful for what the Academy’s done for me over the last so many years and I’m very thankful. I wouldn’t be here without it, for sure.”
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