IF IT wasn’t for Crystal Palace’s new boss Patrick Vieira, Chelsea loanee Conor Gallagher could’ve ended up at Leeds instead this season.
The 21-year-old joined the Eagles last month, a few weeks after Vieira was handed the manager role.
Although it had been clear that the English whiz-kid was seeking a move away from Stamford Bridge this summer in the pursuit of first-team football, it was unclear where he was heading.
He wasn’t short on offers as both Leeds and Newcastle were hot on Gallagher’s heels.
And if Vieira wasn’t at Selhurst Park, the ex-West Brom loanee may have linked up with Marco Bielsa at Leeds instead.
When asked why he picked Palace over Leeds, Gallagher said: “I liked what the manager Patrick Vieira was saying.
“I feel like it suited me very nicely and like I could express myself the best here.
“He wants me to do what I do best, which is basically all I want to hear.
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“He knows the type of player I am. He knows that I want to get up and down the pitch and just play with freedom. That definitely helped persuade me.”
Vieira’s vision for Gallagher seemed to be correct as he was named Man Of The Match in Palace’s 0-0 draw agaisnt Brentford last Sunday.
His talent was visible early on as he pinged a seventh-minute shot against the crossbar after Wilfried Zaha played him in.
Shortly after, Gallagher had another shot stopped by Bees keeper David Raya.
It was an impressive debut for the youngster who missed Palace’s season opener against parent club Chelsea which they lost 3-0, as he was ineligible to play.
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
