The Gallagher surname, of Irish origin, is inextricably tied to the musical destiny that Liam and Noel they decided to print it. That is why hearing his name evokes disparate chords and melodies, and makes you think about who is that wonderful wall that rescues you at your worst, or about the importance of knowing how to stop looking back, and turn the page. But there is a song that works for even more specific contexts. More accurate. “Go let it out”, a creation of the band that has completed 20 laps in the sun this year, is an appropriate song for the moment it is living Conor Gallagher in their life. After several transfers in the lower divisions, he has now found his place in the Premier League in the West Bromwich Albion, and he’s letting out all the football he has inside.
The Gallagher least Gallagher of all, a blond from London, from Chelsea all his life, and with a very good relationship with his brothers – all of them sharing a profession, common aspect with those from Manchester – perfectly represents the cover of the single , which shows the group members, carefree, enjoying with a ball at their feet. The songwriting context of the British group is a story recounted with the youngest of the Gallaghers from the south, who after several outings is succeeding – once again, if we talk about music – and making news week after week. Although he has already been riding his wave, media or not, for a long time.
Chelsea’s “heart”
Lee and Samantha Gallagher, parents of Jake, Josh, Dan and Conor, have always strived so that their children could have various options at their disposal, resources to evolve. From forcing them, in some way, to always be involved in more than one sport – from rugby to karate to tennis and football, obviously – to giving them space in the garden of their house in Great Bookham to train, with goals of different sizes over the years. Getting to get a professional regulation size metal. Apparently the plastic ones broke easily.
The three older brothers Conor’s players went through lower ranks of teams like Fulham or Wimbledon, and are now involved – as players or coaches – with him. Dorking Wanderers, de la National League South, la sixth division for England numerical purposes. Dorking, by the way, is a city in the county of Surrey, south of London, it is very close to Epsom, part of the Metropolitan Area of the English capital. And that in addition to being Gallagher’s hometown, it is home to the best-known horse race in England. The Derby Day, as it is colloquially called.
Conor Gallagher was born there on February 6, 2000, a day before he Go Let It Out see the light around the world. Almost as if it were premonized, prepared in this way by the universe to unite their lives without the possibility of separating what one says and what the other does. And there he grows up playing for the Epsom Eagles, alongside Reece James and Alfie Doughty. Until around the age of 9 he Chelsea notices him, and recruits him to the Academy. Where he develops alongside other extremely promising young people such as Fikayo Tomori, Rhian Webster -who went to Liverpool at 14-, Reece James himself, Tammy Abraham, Mason Mount or even Declan Rice -who went to West Ham at 15 -. He was evolving, learning to perfect his control of the ball, and even appearing in very varied positions. From the wings, to the goalkeeper, including of course the center of the field. Where it ends up settling.
After suffering due to the tension in his knees, a terrible illness of adolescence when your body begins to change and grow, Chelsea ends up giving him a place in their U18 squad. The moment he settles down, he begins to play regularly and brilliantly, and continues to awaken feelings and passions wherever he goes. By summer 2017 he has already won the U18 Premier League at the national level and the FA Youth Cup, and he has played an important role in that success.
Which causes Steve Cooper, who will eventually be his coach at Swansea, and then takes charge of England U17, to summon him for the U17 World Cup to be held in India. World that ends up winning the English team, with a testimonial participation of Gallagher in the final, but being part of the team. When it is necessary to be, it is. And that’s what matters.
The following campaign, 17/18, he is captain and undisputed starter, leaving 7 goals and 1 assist, and ends up repeating success in the League, in the Premier Cup, and being runners-up in the UEFA Youth League. Outstanding performance earning him a place on the staff of the U23 for the 2018/19 academic year, a contract extension that ties him to the Blue discipline until the summer of 2021, and the call with England U19 at the European Championship held in Finland. Where a hint of tragedy begins to chew.
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Conor Gallagher scoring his first goal as Baggie. / West Bromwich Albion
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In training you begin to feel your heart racing extremely fast. And decides not to care. Follow. Big mistake. The Euro ends without playing much – thank God, everything is said, because of what could have happened – and the preseason begins with Maurizio Sarri’s Chelsea. In the first training session, he has the same sensation again, with the aggravation of the severe dizziness that he begins to feel as the minutes go by, finally leaving the field, and beginning a whole series of tests, X-rays and other analyzes. The final diagnosis is that has an arrhythmia, that doctors do not like, and that she must be operated on. He is under anesthesia for 45 minutes, and he gets to hear from the doctors that there is a 3% chance that the surgery will not solve the problem. He prefers not to think about it. Finally, it ends up being solved, and he has to be unemployed for two months recovering in the postoperative period. And as soon as he plays again, in September 2018, he does not stop growing.
In 12 games as a starter, he has accumulated 4 goals and 3 assists, he was called up for the Europa League Final played by Chelsea against Arsenal in Baku, and took a champion medal for simply going with the entire expedition. Older people are named Academy Player of the Year -a brutal success to have undergone a heart operation-. To add emphasis to their achievement, the previous two to receive the Academy Award have been Reece James and Mason Mount. Indisputable with Frankie. Almost nothing. This is how it is confirmed that he is ready to take the step to professional football, and this is how Charlton Athletic appears. Of all the options before him, after doing the preseason with Lampard at Chelsea, who is his childhood idol -they share football traits-, he chooses the Addicks for their closeness to home, to his family, and for the minutes of which you will enjoy. Which was, by all accounts, a very smart decision.
In his second game he is already a starter, and scores a goal, and no one takes him out of the starting line-up until Blue himself claims him, and drags him back to Stamford Bridge. Under Lee Bowyer he plays 25 games as a starter in a row, taking into account the exhausting dynamic of Sunday-Monday-Sunday in the Championship. He completes the 90 minutes in 23 of these 25 games, and contributes 6 goals and 2 assists to the good work of the team. The rumor mill that unites him with Burnley and Norwich in January of this year makes him return to the dynamics of the first team, and a week after his last game with his previous team he is making his debut, as a starter, in the Swansea. There he joins his ex-Academy teammate Brewster, alongside whom he fights for promotion to the Premier League. With which he made his debut in Wales before his fans in January, and to whom he assisted his first goal as a professional footballer.
This is worth several opportunities in the Premier League on loan this summer, and he passes the medical tests with Crystal Palace, which ends up betting on Michy Batshuayi -zero goals, eight games-, finally arriving at the West Bromwich Albion of Slaven Bilic, presumably for a short time. Once again he has established himself as a starter, as a Premier League scorer, once again showing the world, Lampard and himself that it does not matter the challenge that is presented to him, that he is going to overcome it.
Playing a box-to-box role “of the old days” -which he likes to consider himself-, and has a good knowledge of the game, having a good defensive position. His charisma should be worthy of pride on the part of Frank Lampard, and his good low hitting – important to emphasize – from outside the area as well. There is no doubt that he has a magnificent ability to reach the opponent’s area. It is clear, therefore, that day after day he beats Chelsea without their knowledge, earning more and more the opportunity to fight for a place in the first team’s rotation. He has to improve things, of course, like the way he deals with the defensive 1v1, being outmatched quite a few times, dribbling in more than 3 situations per game.
It is true that against Crystal Palace he was outmatched. And before much of the Premier League it will happen the same. But that is not your concern. That is a direct consequence of team dynamics. What matters is that he has already established himself as a starter at the highest level of English football. That he has already scored two goals, and that by looking for a momentary getaway from Chelsea, and letting go of the football he has inside, he is on his way to becoming a hit in English pop culture, and among the Stamford Bridge fans. . “Go let it out”, Conor, outside your comfort zone is where you feel at home.
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