Conor Gallagher has made no secret of his desire to finally establish himself at Tottenham Hotspur — and he believes the arrival of head coach Roberto De Zerbi has given him the platform to do exactly that.

The midfielder joined Spurs last January from Atletico Madrid for £35 million, but his early months at the club could hardly have been more difficult. Thomas Frank was replaced by Igor Tudor shortly after Gallagher's arrival, and the player has acknowledged openly that Tudor "wasn't having me" in his plans, as the club fought to avoid relegation from the Premier League.

"It's time to kick on to try and show the fans what I can do," Gallagher told Sky Sports. "I want to be at my best to help the club go to where we should be. Hopefully, this is only the start of my Spurs career."

A manager who rebuilt his confidence

De Zerbi arrived at Spurs in March and, according to Gallagher, transformed his fortunes almost immediately. The Italian coach restored the midfielder's confidence and gave him consistent minutes — a combination that proved decisive in Tottenham's survival fight.

"With me, it was mainly a confidence thing and slightly a physical thing, which you get from just playing more games," Gallagher said. "The manager gave me a bit of my confidence back and I started playing more consistent minutes on the pitch. A lot of credit to the manager — but for him, it's only the start also."

He also admits De Zerbi's intensity came as a slight shock at first. "He was a bit scary, especially the first time meeting him, but after a while it's not like that," Gallagher said. "He's a really nice man, but you know you can't mess around. You've got to do the right things and train right and give 100 per cent."

The admiration is mutual. During pre-season in Sydney, De Zerbi said that when Gallagher is at his best, it is like Tottenham have an extra player — a striking endorsement for someone who was struggling for minutes just months ago.

Spurs' summer ambition

Tottenham have backed De Zerbi's project emphatically this summer, spending close to £200 million on new players — all with Premier League experience. Early arrivals including Sandro Tonali, Mateus Fernandes, and Andy Robertson have had time to build chemistry ahead of the new campaign.

Off the pitch, De Zerbi places equal value on group cohesion. "We've got a really good group of people and footballers," Gallagher said. "The gaffer loves it — a team dinner and a few drinks and a bonding night out."

On the pitch, De Zerbi's ambitions are equally clear. A pre-season clash with Chelsea — which grew heated at moments, including a fierce challenge from Gallagher on Dario Essugo — offered a glimpse of the intensity the head coach demands.

"De Zerbi wants to dominate everything," Gallagher said. "He wants to have the ball and control games. He believes we can dominate any team we play against if we play the right way and with the right personality."

After back-to-back 17th-place Premier League finishes, the question of how far Tottenham can climb under De Zerbi shapes as one of the most intriguing stories of the new season. For Gallagher, the motivation is personal as much as collective. "It feels perfect here," he said. "I feel like it should be my prime kind of years."