Frank Lampard beams at ‘big talent’ Conor Gallagher as he heaps praise on the stand-in Chelsea captain for wanting to ‘raise standards’ within Mauricio Pochettino’s team
- The Chelsea midfielder continues to impress under Mauricio Pohettino
- Conor Gallagher currently replaces Chelsea’s first-team captain
- click here to listen to the latest episode of Mail Sport’s ‘It’s All Kicking Off’
Frank Lampard praised Conor Gallagher’s ‘great character’ after leading Chelsea to a second straight win on Monday night.
The Blues struck twice in two minutes at Craven Cottage as Mykhailo Mudryk scored his first competitive goal for the club before Armando Broja scored shortly afterwards on his return from long-term injury.
Lampard worked with Gallagher during his final managerial spell at Stamford Bridge during a difficult period for the club last season, but admitted he is excited to see the England international starring under Mauricio Pochettino.
Gallagher continued to serve as club captain in the absence of regular captain Reece James and vice-captain Ben Chilwell, with Lampard praising the midfielder’s commitment to becoming a success at Stamford Bridge.
“He has a great character and is a great talent when he scores goals from midfield,” Lampard explained on Sky Sports.
Conor Gallagher continued to impress in his role as alternate captain as Chelsea defeated Fulham on Monday
Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino (pictured) has made Gallagher (right) a trusted member of his midfield
“As a manager you see things that people outside the club don’t see and when you’re talking about players who want to train at a level every day, sometimes you pick a team and people say: why do you keep playing Conor Gallagher?
‘Because of his desire to play for the club, the desire to raise the bar and train hard.
‘When I came back to the club he trained every day as if he really wanted to show something. “Being a part-time captain will give him the opportunity to really progress his career at Chelsea,” he added.
Gallagher was previously linked with a summer move away from Chelsea but has since started every Premier League game for the Blues this season.
Frank Lampard (pictured) praised Gallagher for his commitment to Chelsea
Lampard (right) previously managed Gallagher (centre) during his second spell as Chelsea boss last season
His rise from academy graduate to first-team regular coincided with the England call-ups and Gallagher beamed at being given more responsibility at Chelsea after beating Fulham.
“It’s obviously a very proud moment and time for me to captain the club the few times I’ve done that,” said Gallagher.
“You know how much it means to me and how much I want to do well at Chelsea. I’ve supported them all my life and it’s great to lead them. Hopefully I can continue to do that.
“I’ve tried to be more disciplined and be a leader both on and off the field. “We do our best to play well together and understand each other’s game,” he said.