Conor Gallagher has revealed he is eternally grateful to Crystal Palace for giving him the opportunity to improve himself and gain some experience.

The 23-year-old played for Palace in the 2021-22 season after joining them on a season-long loan deal from Chelsea.

While with Palace, which was then managed by Patrick Vieira, Gallagher showed his best form, and played regularly for them, before returning to Stamford Bridge at the end of that campaign. And while speaking recently in an interview, the England midfielder recalled how the move impacted his career.

Conor said, via the official Chelsea website: “It was an amazing time, an amazing season. They helped me improve a lot as a player and a person. I’m very thankful and I look back at my memories there with joy, so I’m very grateful to the club.”

He added: “Patrick Vieira helped me a lot that season and the way he played allowed me to show the best version of myself on the pitch. That’s why it was a good season, individually.”

Gallagher also said: “It gave me a lot of confidence, playing for Palace, which helped me believe I could come back to Chelsea and get in the first team. That was always the aim for me, so I was very thankful to Crystal Palace.”