“I keep going back to the Jesse Lingard situation, learn from his mistakes” – Darren Ambrose issues warning to Chelsea midfielder
Former Crystal Palace midfielder Darren Ambrose has advised Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher to learn from Jesse Lingard's mistakes and seek first-team opportunities.
Gallagher, 22, had a breakout season at Selhurst Park last campaign while on loan at Crystal Palace from the Blues. The English midfielder made 39 appearances for the Eagles, scoring eight goals and providing five assists.
Gallagher has returned to Chelsea following his loan spell with Palace and many are expecting him to gain more opportunities at Stamford Bridge. However, given the options at Blues boss Thomas Tuchel's disposal, he may not get the number of minutes he was given by Patrick Vieira last season.
Ambrose stated that he doesn't want Gallagher to follow in the footsteps of Jesse Lingard. The English attacker returned to Manchester United following a hugely successful loan spell with West Ham United but was rarely afforded game time.
Speaking on Gallagher's situation, Ambrose told talkSPORT:
“I keep going back to the Jesse Lingard situation – learn from his mistakes because I think it was a mistake going back to Manchester United. Gallagher has to go somewhere he is going to play. If Thomas Tuchel has promised him games and he can play and is confident enough to stay at a huge club like Chelsea, go for it."
Ambrose further explained:
“There’s an opportunity that if he stays at Chelsea and plays half the games, he could still play for England. But if he goes to Everton or Palace and plays all the games, it’s not really about the club anymore."
"If you’re playing every game at the top four, you’re more than likely to be picked for England in my opinion, but if you look at the players Southgate picks, Marc Guehi and Tyrick Mitchell have been selected before."
Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel on Conor Gallagher's future
Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel has seemingly confirmed he has plans for Conor Gallagher heading into next season.
When asked about what the future will hold for the 22-year-old at Stamford Bridge, Tuchel replied (via Guardian):
“I believe Conor can be a part of our squad and can play a role with us. But I am not the only one to decide. We need to speak after the season with everybody, speak after the season about what Conor wants, we need to see what the situation is and what role we have for him that he can fight for."
“There needs to be something to fight, a role and perspective of where you are, where you can be, what you need to achieve. So we have to be very clear with him and he needs to be clear with us. Then we will sort it out. His development is extraordinary and outstanding."
Conor Gallagher. That's the tweet.
#CPFC https://t.co/LSUGH21Oru