Sam Gallagher is set to make his competitive Stoke City debut this weekend
Stoke City new boy Sam Gallagher is hoping to make his mark on the scoresheet himself as well as having a reputation for getting the best out of those around him.
Ben Brereton-Diaz, Adam Armstrong and Sammie Szmodics all found prolific form next to Gallagher in the Blackburn attack and he will be happy to be a foil now for players like Bae Junho and Million Manhoef.
But he wants to stake his claim to be the focal point of the front line and show that he can find the net regularly himself having been shifted around different roles in the middle and wide during his five years at Ewood Park.
“Maybe,” said Gallagher, when it was suggested his strike partners’ records can’t be a coincidence. “People mention it and win percentages and stuff like that have come up in the last couple of years as well but whenever I go out I just want to do well and do whatever I can to help the team, whether that’s pressing without the ball or making unselfish runs, I’ll do whatever I can.”
He added: “I’ve played in a few different positions, in a two, as a one, in the middle or as an outside forward, maybe not a winger but a wide player coming inside. Primarily I would like to see myself as a striker, being that sort of focal point at the front of the team – and hopefully scoring a few more goals.”
Gallagher has taken the number 20 shirt in Steven Schumacher’s squad, having had nine on his back at Blackburn.
He said: “Number 20 is the birthday of my little girl, who is coming up to one later this month. All the numbers were taken around it but 20 was free. Numbers have always meant something to me, mum’s birthday, dad’s birthday so when it was there it felt right.”
The 28-year-old is looking forward to getting his season up and running at the weekend with the curtain raiser at home to Coventry – and there will be a familiar voice during his time at Stoke, always pointing out where he can improve as well as what he does well.
Sentinel columnist, Radio Stoke summariser and Stoke legend Mike Pejic was Gallagher’s youth coach when he was a teenager back at Plymouth Argyle and played an important part in shaping his burgeoning career.
Gallagher said: “I think it was me and my agent were speaking maybe a week ago when things were sounding realistic and it could happen and he said to me, ‘You know who’s on the radio at Stoke…’
“Mike Pejic played a big part in bringing success to Plymouth who, at the time, were struggling financially. He was able to get a lot of good young players coming through the club and it’ll be good to see him again and say hello.
“Even though I was young at the time he would drill into you what he wanted you to do, try to toughen you up a little bit. He would have you with an Olympic bar weight lifting or doing his taekwondo. He was a brilliant character, someone great to work under.”
