England Under-21 midfielder Conor Gallagher is relishing the chance to work under Chelsea legend Ashley Cole during the international break.
Cole has recently been appointed as assistant to the new Young Lions boss, Lee Carsley, with Gallagher, who is on loan from Chelsea at Crystal Palace this season, one of the senior figures in the squad for games against Romania and Kosovo.
The midfielder has met Cole at the Blues’ Cobham training ground before but is yet to work alongside the former left-back in a coaching capacity.
“I’ve never worked with him and I’m really excited,” said Gallgaher. “I looked up to him as a Chelsea fan. He’s the best left back in the world. He can teach me things. He’s a top guy and I’m looking forward to working under him.”
There are a number of fresh faces in Carsley’s squad with 13 players having been given their first call-up at this level. Gallagher, however, has nine caps for the U21s and was part of the squad which failed to make it out of their group at the U21 European Championship in March under Aidy Boothroyd.
It was the second successive tournament in which Boothroyd, who described the role as the “utterly impossible job”, had failed to make the knockout stages and he subsequently left his position at the end of his contract.
“I think I take a lot from it,” Gallagher said of the experience. “All the best teams in the world have lost, we were unfortunate enough to do so but there are new boys in the squad and they’re all buzzing to play. New manager, coaches. It is very exciting. It is in the past, we’re here now and better for it.”
