England midfielder Conor Gallagher responds when asked who his Irish girlfriend will support as Three Lions face Republic of Ireland

England international Conor Gallagher has shared who his Irish partner will be supporting ahead of England’s clash with Ireland. Gallagher, selected by Lee Carsley to represent the Three Lions, is potentially in line to start the first game against Ireland on Saturday, September 7.

The 24-year-old recently moved from Chelsea to Atletico Madrid for a reported fee of £34 million. Although he hasn’t hit the ground running yet, he is expected to play a significant role under Diego Simeone in the upcoming matches.

Gallagher’s partner, Aine May Kennedy, is from Cork, Ireland, and the couple even attended an All-Ireland Hurling final during the summer break. While Gallagher is confident that his partner will fully support him, he admitted he’s unsure of who he will be cheering for on Saturday in the Nations League tie.

“I don’t know actually. She always supports me but obviously she’s an Irish girl and I’m sure she doesn’t mind," he stated (via Irish Mirror).

Gallagher also shared that he enjoyed a relaxing summer break after England’s heart-breaking defeat to Spain in the Euro finals, stating that spending time with his family helped him recharge ahead of the demanding season.

"My girlfriend is from Cork and we went to Dublin to support them with some of the family and had a great time. I really enjoyed it (Hurling final) and it was great to see her family out there as well. It was really interesting to go and see the match. It’s a really exciting sport," he added.

Conor Gallagher disagrees with Enzo Maresca but expresses gratitude to Chelsea fans for their support

Gallagher left his boyhood club this summer following a lengthy transfer saga between Chelsea and Atletico Madrid. New coach Enzo Maresca did not include the midfielder in his first-team plans, leading to his placement on the transfer market.

There have also been suggestions that the Italian manager didn’t consider Gallagher capable of playing a role in his team. However, the England international respectfully disagreed with Maresca and thanked his former boss, Mauricio Pochettino, for trusting him.

“I don’t think that’s true personally, Gallagher commented on Maresca’s thoughts that he wasn’t suited for a midfield role. I think last season I had a good season with Chelsea as you could see by Mauricio Pochettino playing me every game and showing his trust in me. And the fans appreciated what I did on the pitch too.

"I’m very grateful for all of that and very thankful to the fans. And very thankful to Pochettino for giving me that platform to go and express myself and show the best version of myself at Chelsea," Gallagher said (via Metro UK).

Gallagher has made only one start for Atletico Madrid so far, which was in their recent victory over Athletic Club. After the match against Ireland, Gallagher and the England team will face Finland at Wembley on Tuesday, September 10.