To many, Conor Gallagher included in the England World Cup squad was a surprise, but the underlying numbers and what he can bring to England's team suggest it should be no surprise at all.
The 22-year-old has featured 17 times for Chelsea this season which included securing Graham Potter his first victory as Chelsea boss with a stunning stoppage-time strike against Crystal Palace, the club where Gallagher spent the 2021/22 season on loan.
Potter's reluctance to not make wholesale changes between games has seen Gallagher make just a handful of starts since his arrival, with one of those few starts seeing Gallagher as an early substitution after he was feeling unwell.
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Gallagher is arguably at his best playing at the tip of a midfield three with the freedom to roam and make late dashes into the box to join attacks, a trait that saw him score eight goals during his spell under Patrick Vieira in the previous campaign. In flashes, Gallagher has shown the quality he possesses this season also.
Just six natural midfielders were named in Southgate's squad, and when comparing the players also included, it's clear to see why Gallagher is being taken to Qatar, with the England boss also outlining multiple qualities he believes Gallagher has.
Gareth Southgate said in his press conference after the Squad announcement: "He's fantastic at pressing the ball. He's not as experienced as some of the others, but he has an impact in games. When you look at midfielders, you often ask, do they stop goals, create goals or score goals? He does a lot of all of that."
The first trait Southgate highlighted was how well he presses, and that is certainly something that you cannot overlook. Gallagher's endeavour and willingness to run more than his opponents stand him in good stead when he is involved in any individual battle, and it's not just watching him play that proves how impressive his engine is.
OptaJoe revealed a telling statistic on Twitter that Gallagher has covered an average of 11.5 kilometres per 90 in the Premier League this season which is the most of any Chelsea player with at least 400 minutes played.
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