England midfielder, Conor Gallagher, has expressed his sadness over the departure of Argentine manager Mauricio Pochettino from Stamford Bridge. The 24-year-old player thanked Pochettino for showing "belief and trust" in his abilities during his tenure as Chelsea manager.
Gallagher was given the responsibility of captaining Chelsea by Pochettino. He established himself as a first-team regular in Chelsea's midfield alongside Enzo Fernandez and record-signing Moises Caicedo. During the 2023/24 season, he registered more appearances in all competitions than any other Blues player - a total of 50 games.
As Chelsea captain Reece James and vice-captain Ben Chilwell struggled with injuries, Gallagher often wore the captain's armband under Pochettino’s leadership. His performance levels were high enough to secure him a regular spot in Gareth Southgate's England plans.
Gallagher accepts disappointment over Pochettino’s departure
Despite strong end-of-season form from Chelsea, Mauricio Pochettino parted ways with the club by mutual agreement. This marked an end to a tumultuous year that saw disagreements between the Argentine manager and club hierarchy over transfer policy. Initially struggling to build rapport with supporters due to his Tottenham connections, he eventually managed to bridge this gap.
Gallagher expressed gratitude towards his former manager for everything he did for him at Chelsea during an interview at England’s training camp where he admitted being "sad" about seeing him go.
Chelsea midfielder, Conor Gallagher, said:
"Of course he has done so much for me so I was sad, sad for him and his coaching staff, I've really enjoyed it [time under Pochettino]. When I'm playing football I am happy and I have been playing on a consistent basis this season. I just wanted to work as hard as possible to help Chelsea as much as I can and England when I played.
"A lot of credit to Pochettino for giving me that opportunity to show Chelsea what I could do in the last season, hopefully there is still room for improvement.
"He just showed his 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 so I just build on that."
Enzo Maresca arrives with big pressure
Following this changeover, Enzo Maresca has taken up long-term reins at west London as successor to Mauricio Pochettino. Maresca led Leicester City to Championship title last season, proving his capabilities as a manager.
Gallagher expressed excitement about working with Maresca despite ongoing speculation over his future. He stated that he is "really excited" to work under the new management, indicating a positive outlook towards the upcoming changes at Chelsea.
The departure of Mauricio Pochettino from Chelsea marks an end of an era and the beginning of a new one under Enzo Maresca. As Gallagher steps into this new phase, fans eagerly await to see how he will continue to shine in his role and contribute to Chelsea's success in the coming seasons.
