Although Sam Gallagher was born in Camberley he spent most of his childhood in Crediton, Devon which explains why he ended up on the books of Plymouth Argyle. According to the local newspaper The Herald, Southampton paid a fee of over £100,000 to bring 16-year-old Sam to St Marys with one of Argyle’s Academy coaches, Kevin Nancekivell, describing him at the time as

“a big tall strong lad with plenty of pace and an eye for goal”.

During his six years as a professional with Saints he had six different managers, but the only one who gave him a start was the one who first gave him his debut, Mauricio Pochettino. In fact Sam holds the club record for the longest gap between appearances which amounted to over four-and-a-quarter years as first Ronald Koeman and then Claude Puel and Mauricio Pellegrino preferred him to go out on loan.

The first of these did not work out too well and he returned from MK Dons prematurely, but a successful spell at Ewood Park earned him a four-year contract with Saints before he embarked on another productive season at Birmingham who were managed by Harry Redknapp when he first arrived.

At 6’ 4” Sam could play as an orthodox number nine, but was equally at home down the flanks where his strong running and power unnerved more than a few Championship full backs.

His stay on the south coast however will be remembered most not for his exploits in the first team, but for his part in Saints U21s beating Blackburn Rovers in the Premier League Cup Final, with Sam cutting in from the left-wing, playing a one-two with Josh Sims, to fire in a 25-yard left-foot thunderbolt to win the Cup. The goal (see below), was later judged the Premier League Academy goal-of-the season. After an injury-disrupted 2018-19 which prevented him from being able to impress Ralph Hassenhuttl, he was allowed to rejoin Rovers, permanently this time, for a fee of £5m.