Pills, thrills and last-minute goals. Adventures in Clubland is a long-runningMUNDIAL series where football fans tell us all about players who were at their clubs for a good time, not a long time. This week, Ollie Thomas pens a love letter to a loan player who just properly got what his beloved Crystal Palace were all about…
Loaning a player from a big club normally ends the same way. Good player goes to lesser team. Everyone realises pretty quickly that he is too good for said team. Starts well. Player gets comfortable. Can’t be bothered by the end. 6/10 end result. Team will do exactly the same next season.
So, when Conor Gallagher made his debut for Crystal Palace against Brentford and spent the entire match rampaging round the pitch like his life depended on it, I was taken aback. Hang on a second. Who the fuck is that? Blonde highlights. Hairband. Wrist tape. Yellow boots. Maybe I noticed him more because of his distinct appearance. But as the weeks went on, I realised he was different. This was the dream loan player.
