Chelsea legend Ashley Cole has admitted that Conor Gallagher has eventually won him over with his performances in recent years.
Gallagher, currently on loan at West Brom, joined the Blues as an eight-year-old in 2008 and in October 2018 he signed his first contract with the club.
In the 2018/19 campaign, the then-teenager was awarded Chelsea's Academy Player of the Year and since then he has gone onto have successful loan spells at Charlton Athletic and Swansea City in the Championship.
And in a difficult season for the Baggies, where they have barely left the relegation zone and currently sit nine points from safety in 19th, he has been one of their shining lights as they attempt to beat the drop.
While he hopes and waits for his long-awaited Chelsea debut, former defender Cole says Gallagher, 20, is proving his worth.
However, he said he thought other youngsters at Chelsea outshone him many years ago.
"His first loan spell at Charlton was very successful and then he followed that up with a great experience at Swansea," he said.
"I feel now that he’s been a very important player for West Brom. I saw him as a very young kid at Chelsea and if I’m honest, was he technically gifted like the other players in the group?
"Probably not, but he just shows that his hard work, dedication, that attitude he has, it just proves what he’s doing now.
"It’s an opportunity, you sometimes have to step out of that bubble at Chelsea and really go and fight somewhere else. He’s done that and proved his worth.”
Cole is not the only one who is a fan of Gallagher.
Chelsea's Billy Gilmour, 19, said Gallagher was a player for supporters to keep a close eye on.
"In my team, I played alongside Conor Gallagher and I loved playing with him," the Scotland youth international told Chelsea’s Unscripted series.
"Of course, he has gone on loan and he did so well at Charlton and then Swansea and now to West Brom in the Premier League where he is playing every game.
"So, hopefully, we can see him. He is a good mate of mine and I love playing with him."
Gallagher is currently contracted to Chelsea until the summer of 2025 so he has plenty of time to try and work his way into Thomas Tuchel's plans.
