mkdons.com takes a look at the career so far of new signing Sam Gallagher...
Born in Devon, Gallagher began his youth career with Plymouth Argyle before joining Southampton in April 2012.
The striker scored a hat-trick on his debut for Saints’ Under-16s and his form at Academy level saw him earn two Premier League Elite Group appearances for the Under-21s during the 2012/13 campaign.
In November 2013, Gallagher made his first-team debut as a substitute in Southampton’s Capital One Cup tie against Sunderland, before being handed his first Premier League appearance in a 1-1 draw with Newcastle United a month later.
As well as featuring in the first-team squad on a number of occasions, Gallagher continued to feature for the Under-18s and Under-21s during the second half of 2013 and he netted a hat-trick for the former in an FA Youth Cup tie against local rivals Portsmouth.
It was during an FA Cup Proper tie where Gallagher scored his first senior goal – a 70th minute strike against Yeovil Town in late January. A few days after that game, he made his full senior debut for Southampton in a Premier League clash with then-leaders Arsenal, coming close to scoring on a number of occasions.
He didn’t have to wait too long for his first goal in the top flight, however, as he found the net in the Saints’ 4-2 win over Norwich City in March 2014.
Also that month, Gallagher earned his first call-up to the England Under-19s, having switched allegiances from Scotland, whom he featured for three times at the same age level.
His international debut in a friendly against Turkey, helping the Young Lions secure a 3-0 victory after coming on as a substitute. Later, in May, Gallagher collected two more caps in European Championship qualifiers against Montenegro and Ukraine.
Gallagher was rewarded for his promising 2013/14 season, in which he also scored three times in 10 games for the Under-21s, by the offer of a long-term contract extension by the Saints that summer.
After a promising pre-season ahead of the 2014/15 campaign, Gallagher suffered a serious injury that ruled him out until 2015 but he returned to action in the New Year to make a number of stand-out displays for the Under-21s.
He scored a memorable goal in Southampton’s Premier League Cup final victory over Blackburn Rovers.
The striker scored a hat-trick on his debut for Saints’ Under-16s and his form at Academy level saw him earn two Premier League Elite Group appearances for the Under-21s during the 2012/13 campaign.
In November 2013, Gallagher made his first-team debut as a substitute in Southampton’s Capital One Cup tie against Sunderland, before being handed his first Premier League appearance in a 1-1 draw with Newcastle United a month later.
As well as featuring in the first-team squad on a number of occasions, Gallagher continued to feature for the Under-18s and Under-21s during the second half of 2013 and he netted a hat-trick for the former in an FA Youth Cup tie against local rivals Portsmouth.
It was during an FA Cup Proper tie where Gallagher scored his first senior goal – a 70th minute strike against Yeovil Town in late January. A few days after that game, he made his full senior debut for Southampton in a Premier League clash with then-leaders Arsenal, coming close to scoring on a number of occasions.
He didn’t have to wait too long for his first goal in the top flight, however, as he found the net in the Saints’ 4-2 win over Norwich City in March 2014.
Also that month, Gallagher earned his first call-up to the England Under-19s, having switched allegiances from Scotland, whom he featured for three times at the same age level.
His international debut in a friendly against Turkey, helping the Young Lions secure a 3-0 victory after coming on as a substitute. Later, in May, Gallagher collected two more caps in European Championship qualifiers against Montenegro and Ukraine.
Gallagher was rewarded for his promising 2013/14 season, in which he also scored three times in 10 games for the Under-21s, by the offer of a long-term contract extension by the Saints that summer.
After a promising pre-season ahead of the 2014/15 campaign, Gallagher suffered a serious injury that ruled him out until 2015 but he returned to action in the New Year to make a number of stand-out displays for the Under-21s.
He scored a memorable goal in Southampton’s Premier League Cup final victory over Blackburn Rovers.
