Conor Gallagher exclusive: Spurs midfielder ready to show what he can do under Roberto De Zerbi this season

Timing in sport often defines a career and for Conor Gallagher and Tottenham, it probably could not have been worse.

He arrived at Spurs last January from Atletico Madrid for £35m and within weeks boss Thomas Frank had been replaced by Igor Tudor, who by Gallagher's own admission "wasn't having me" as a player as the club battled relegation.

They were tough times at Spurs and Gallagher could not see a way out of the slump.

However, the arrival of Roberto De Zerbi as head coach began to change everything. Tottenham avoided relegation to the Championship and Gallagher played his part, although in an emotional interview on the final day he admitted he had not been able to show fans what he was really about.

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Gallagher believes now is the time to really start his Spurs story.

"It's time to kick on to try and show the fans what I can do," he told Sky Sports. "I want to be at my best to help the club go to where we should be.

"Every footballer has things going on and hard, tough times. It's just life. Everyone has problems and I'm just really happy that we came out of it and I ended the season well.

"Hopefully this is only the start of my Spurs career."

Gallagher's praise for De Zerbi

It feels a very different Gallagher sitting in the sunshine a few weeks out from the start of a new season.

Much of that is down to De Zerbi, who joined Spurs in March.

Gallagher said: "With me, it was just a confidence thing mainly and slightly a physical thing, which you get from just playing more games. I wasn't really used to that at that time.

"The manager gave me a bit of my confidence back and I started playing more consistent minutes on the pitch.

"A lot of credit to the manager but for him, it's only the start also."

De Zerbi's demanding reputation and intensity are clear to see but Gallagher admits he was still a little daunted during their first meeting.

He added: "He was a bit scary, especially the first time meeting him, but after a while it's not like that.

"He's actually a really nice man but you know you can't mess around. You've got to do the right things and train right and give 100 per cent.

"As a coach, he's one of those coaches that you want to do well for. He shows a lot of belief in his players. He instils that confidence in the players. He makes you want to do your best for him and work as hard as you can.

"He always said, 'if you listen to me and stick with me and believe me, then we'll be fine'. And that was when we were in the situation we were last season.

"So he had full belief in himself and he kind of needs everyone on board with him for it to work. And everyone is and does just by the way he is."

That belief is reflected in the way De Zerbi talks about Gallagher.

In Sydney during pre-season, the Spurs boss said, when Gallagher is at his best, it is like Tottenham have an extra player - a remarkable turnaround from a player who a few months ago was struggling for minutes.

Gallagher smiles. "It's nice. I always try and give my best whenever I'm on the pitch. I feel like it should be my prime kind of years. I've kind of been at a load of teams already and had amazing experiences and loved every club I played for at that time.

"So now I just want to have a bigger role and try and lead by example, on and off the pitch."

'De Zerbi wants to dominate everything'

Tottenham have backed De Zerbi heavily this summer, getting much of their business done early.

Almost £200m has been spent on new players - all with Premier League experience - and the early arrivals have given Sandro Tonali, Mateus Fernandes and Andy Robertson a chance to create some chemistry in the squad.

For De Zerbi, building relationships is as important as building a team, and Gallagher says he loves a bit of team bonding.

He said: "We've got a really good group of people and footballers. The gaffer loves it - a team dinner and a few drinks and a bonding night out."

It is all part of what De Zerbi's vision for the club is and, perhaps, I suggest to Gallagher, we got a glimpse of it in one of their pre-season games with Chelsea - one of Spurs' biggest rivals and the midfielder's former club - which was pretty fiery.

Gallagher's tackle committed on Dario Essugo - too committed thought some - prompts him to hold his head in his hands and laugh.

"That tackle was not as bad as what it looked, to be fair," he said. "I had no intention of hurting anyone."

He added: "De Zerbi wants to dominate everything. He wants to have the ball and control games.

"He wants us to obviously win every game, like any manager would. But he believes we can dominate any team we play against if we play the right way and with the right personality."

Where that can take Tottenham this season will be fascinating after two 17th-placed finishes.

What will also be interesting is to see what Gallagher does next. "It feels perfect here," he finishes.

Perhaps now really is his time at Spurs.

(c) Sky Sports 2026: Conor Gallagher exclusive: Spurs midfielder ready to show what he can do under Roberto De Zerbi this season