Sam Gallagher has had to wait for his Stoke City debut, but he believes he can bring crucial aggression to the team if he channels it correctly.
Sam Gallagher couldn’t hide his frustration after finally making his delayed Stoke City debut.
The summer signing from Blackburn Rovers was sidelined for most of August and September after suffering a calf injury in his first pre-season game. Last week, he was declared fit to train fully for the first time under new head coach Narcis Pelach and made his debut off the bench during a tough loss to Middlesbrough.
“It was great to be back with the boys for my first week of training, but a frustrating way to debut. I’m disappointed with how it ended,” Gallagher said. “Personally, it’s a step in the right direction just to be back on the pitch, so hopefully I can build fitness and push on.”
He reflected on how the injury affected his early progress, saying, “I joined and had a few intense days of training, giving it everything, then the injury hit. It’s been disappointing and tough to build chemistry with the team. I’ve only had three or four proper training sessions, but I’m keen to build those on-field relationships.”
Despite the challenges, Gallagher remains positive about Stoke’s future under Pelach. “The last week of training has been really encouraging. The boys understand the way he wants us to play. It won’t happen overnight, but we need to stay consistent and do the right things,” the 29-year-old striker said.
Gallagher came close to scoring at Middlesbrough with a header from a corner but was left disappointed. “We’ve been working on set pieces, focusing on aggression to win the ball. I was frustrated with how I dealt with the chance, but it came quickly, and I couldn’t get on top of it.”
Pelach has emphasized the importance of aggression in Stoke’s play, and Gallagher knows he can contribute in that area. “When the game was going the way it did, I wanted to make an impact by winning the ball back and being aggressive,” Gallagher explained. “But it’s about managing that aggression better—like avoiding unnecessary fouls. It’s about channeling that effort in the right way.”
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