Conor Gallagher hid behind his girlfriend in a pub three months ago to avoid Thomas Tuchel, but now the midfielder is standing up in front of the Chelsea head coach after confidently telling him he is ready to play for his youth club.
Speaking at the opulent Four Seasons hotel in Beverly Hills, Gallagher chose: Chelsea’s pre-season tour from the United States to explain why he and Tuchel have decided that he will remain at Stamford Bridge this season.
He knows he still has to impress Tuchel in pre-season, but Gallagher has a decision and that will be bad news for Crystal Palace manager Patrick Vieira, under whom the 22-year-old flourished on loan at Crystal Palace last season.
Gallagher made his feelings clear in a candid conversation with Tuchel and was pleased to hear that the German felt the same way.
“I told him I’m ready to play for Chelsea,” Gallagher said. “It was a phone call at the end of the season. Everyone had some free time so it was the easiest way to do it. It was 15 or 20 minutes and we both got out of the call what we needed. After that it was clear.”
When Gallagher was told his direct style was quite brave, the midfielder added: “Yes, I have some older brothers. If you want to say or ask something, just ask, because managers are not scary. They want to talk to their players and they want to know what your thoughts are and what you think. I told him what I thought and he said what he thought, and I think that was the best way to do it.”
But Gallagher admitted he hadn’t been so outspoken when he bumped into Tuchel in a pub in April on a night out with his girlfriend and parents.
During the impromptu meeting, Tuchel apologized to Gallagher for not complying with a request for him to play against his parent club for Palace in last season’s FA Cup semi-final.
Gallagher described how he felt when he saw Tuchel walk into the pub, saying: “I was trying to hide! It was funny because I saw him through the window and whispered to my girlfriend, Mom and Dad, ‘God, it’s Thomas Tuchel coming in.’ He walked in and sat down on the table next to us, so he couldn’t miss me.”
‘Vieira gave me confidence’
Gallagher was named Palace’s Player of the Year but was unable to inform Vieira of his decision before flying to LA for Chelsea’s pre-season tour.
“Patrick believed in me completely and gave me a lot of confidence from day one,” Gallagher said. “I played every game and I had a license to do what I’m good at. He wasn’t sure about my plans for next season – maybe this will help him find out!”