England star at Euro 2024 asked about potential Tottenham transfer

Conor Gallagher’s Chelsea contract only has a year to run but he is paying no attention to links to Tottenham and Aston Villa while at Euro 2024. But Gallagher insists all the talk about his Premier League future is not a distraction at the Euros.

He is a member of Gareth Southgate’s 26-man squad in Germany after regularly captaining Chelsea this season.

But despite some impressive performances while wearing the captain’s armband, he could potentially depart Stamford Bridge after this summer’s international tournament. But club-level football is not on his mind right now.

He said: “I’m a Chelsea player right now and I am just focused on England and the tournament.

“It is not difficult, I’m in a very privileged position to be at a tournament like this and I couldn’t be happier with my situation.”

Interestingly, Gallagher could have played for Scotland in Munich in the Euro 2024 opener but was deemed not good enough.

The Chelsea midfielder, eligible to play for the Scots through his late grandfather, tried out for Scotland’s junior team but didn’t make the grade. Now, he’s vying for a place in Southgate’s starting line-up for England’s first Group C match against Serbia on Sunday.

Reflecting on his past, he joked: “When I was 15 or 16, I wasn’t good enough to play for the England youth team so I went to train with one of the Scotland teams to see what I was like … and I wasn’t good enough for them either! 

“So I managed to work my way back into the England youth set-up and was lucky enough to stay in it.”

Gallagher and his England team-mates will be glued to the screen for the Germany vs Scotland match at their Blankenhain base on Friday night, before they make their way to Gelsenkirchen for a crucial encounter with Serbia.

Gallagher’s performances for Chelsea have catapulted him into contention for a central midfield spot alongside Declan Rice under Southgate’s command.

The 24-year-old heaps praise on Mauricio Pochettino, crediting the former Chelsea boss for his remarkable growth at the top level.

He shared: “I think I have come a long way this season and I give a lot of credit to Pochettino and what he has done for me.”

“He gave me responsibility and trust at Chelsea and put me in a better position to be a bigger part of the squad at this tournament and I’ll do as much as I can to help England in the tournament.”

Despite not getting game time during Qatar 2022, Gallagher feels transformed in Germany and ready to contribute more significantly.

Reflecting on his journey, he said: “In Qatar I was kind of expected not to play in a way, I still loved the experience and was so honoured to be there but I never expected to come on or start games. It is a couple of years on and I’m in a different position.

“A lot of credit to Pochettino for giving me that opportunity to show Chelsea what I could do and, hopefully, there is still room for improvement.”

While he is “excited” about the prospect of working with new club manager, Enzo Maresca, Gallagher has expressed his disappointment over Pochettino’s departure.

He said: “He (Pochettino) has done so much for me so I was sad – sad for him and the coaching staff. He showed belief and trust in me, which is all a player wants, to be honest. If a manager shows you a bit of love, it makes you play better. Long story short, it gives you confidence and that’s what it gave me.”