Manchester United legend Gary Neville has predicted Conor Gallagher will play a key role for England at Euro 2024 this summer.
Gallagher is currently out in Germany with the rest of the England squad as they prepare for their opening game against Serbia on Sunday.
The 24-year-old had a brilliant season for the Blues and he will be hoping to take his form onto the international stage at what will be his second major tournament.
Neville predicts Gallagher to play key role at Euro 2024
Gallagher will be hoping to get on the pitch this time round having not featured at the Qatar World Cup in 2022, but competition for places in midfield is fierce.
Declan Rice is a guaranteed starter which leaves Gallagher competing with Trent Alexander-Arnold and youngsters Kobbie Mainoo and Adam Wharton, whilst Southgate could possibly choose to deploy Jude Bellingham in a deeper role.
However, former England coach and player Neville believes Gallagher will emerge as an important player for Gareth Southgate, but isn’t sure if he will start the first game.
“I’ve got this feeling that he (Southgate) loves Gallagher,” he told The Overlap.
“He may not throw him at us in game one because he might think that will set off on a negative tone of putting Gallagher alongside Rice with Bellingham advanced.
“Personally, the team I think he wants to go for, is that (Pickford-Walker-Stones-Guehi-Trippier-Rice-Gallagher-Bellingham-Saka-Kane-Foden).
“For me, I think where Gareth is going to end up, is to get that extra runner, the one that can go and take the ball off people because he’s (Gallagher) really good at that.
“I think he wants him in, but I don’t think he’ll start to start with.
“I think he’ll put Trent [Alexander-Arnold] in on Sunday [against Serbia], that will almost be deemed as an acceptable bridge between giving us Foden, Bellingham and Rice and what will be the more, it’s not as sexy is it Conor Gallagher, with respect.”
It’s unlikely many England fans will have Gallagher in their starting line-up but he certainly has the qualities to emerge as a key player as the tournament progresses.
