One to Watch – Sam Gallagher

Name: Sam Gallagher
Date of Birth: 15/09/1995
Former Clubs: Southampton, MK Dons (L).
Apps (Goals) 57 (11)

Despite sitting third from bottom, and relegation a very real possibility this season, Blackburn should head to Loftus Road in high spirits following Monday`s 1-0 victory at home to Newcastle, a result that meant Owen Coyle`s charges have completed a surprising league double over the Magpies this term.

Coyle took the reins at Ewood Park in the summer, with many tipping the club to drop out of the division at the end of the campaign, but they remain within one point of safety just past the halfway stage, which is thanks in large part to the goalscoring exploits of summer signing Sam Gallagher from Southampton.

The 21-year old striker arrived at the club on a season-long long in August, and along with the vastly more experienced Danny Graham, Gallagher leads the side`s scoring charts having bagged nine goals, and only six other players in the Championship have managed to find the net on more occasions than the forward.

After beginning his career in the youth ranks at Plymouth, the highly-rated attacker moved to Southampton in 2012, ahead of their promotion to the top-flight, and made his debut from the bench in November 2013 in a League Cup defeat at Sunderland under then manager Mauricio Pochettino.

Gallagher benefitted greatly from Pochettino`s belief in giving young players a chance, making 20 appearances in all competitions for the Saints during the 2013/2014 campaign, the majority of those coming in the Premier League, albeit mostly from the bench, and soon netted his first professional goal.

On what was his sixth outing for the first team, Gallagher doubled the side`s lead to secure a 2-0 victory at home to Yeovil in the FA Cup third round, and his first and only top-flight goal to date came two months later as notched the final goal in a 4-2 win at home to Norwich just moments after coming on.

Following his breakthrough season, he was awarded a new four-year deal at the club in May 2014, but would suffer a setback in pre-season shortly afterwards, as he picked up a knee injury that would keep him out of action until February 2015, and he didn`t feature at all for the first team in 2014/2015.

In a bid to get Gallagher some more first-team experience under his belt, he joined Championship side MK Dons on a season-long loan ahead of last season, but it was a move that was cut short by the Saints as he who returned to St. Mary`s in January after 15 appearances, nine from the bench, and no goals.

He didn`t feature for the club in the second half of the season, and didn`t register a single minute under former Southampton boss Ronald Koeman, but he appears to be getting his career back on track in Lancashire as one of the star performers for Rovers this season, for whom he has made 26 appearances.

The QPR defence will know all too well of his danger in attack, as he bagged the equaliser for the visitors with a looping header over Alex Smithies when the two sides played out a 1-1 draw back in September.