Conor Gallagher’s Chelsea recall came as a surprise to Addick’s boss Lee Bowyer.

The Blues recalled the 19-year-old from his season long loan at The Valley on Tuesday.

Having established himself in Bowyer’s first XI, Gallagher impressed, scoring six goals and assisting three in his first season in professional football.

“I’m disappointed,” Bowyer told CAFC.

“I didn’t see this coming if I’m honest which makes it harder to take.

“At the end of the day, though, we have to move on.

“He’s been a credit and a pleasure to work with. He’s come in and put his body on the line every single day.

“He’s scored us goals and helped us win games. For someone so young, he’s a great talent to work with and I wish him all the best for his future.

“He’s come in, learnt and he’s going back a better player than we received and that’s what our job is - to improve players.

“I would like to thank Chelsea for loaning us Conor.

“The most important thing now is that Conor goes on and progresses in his career and we’ve got to move on and try and find a replacement.”

This Is Local London:

Gallagher went on to say:

“I’ve had a great time at Charlton Athletic and I’d like to thank the staff, my teammates and of course the fans. I’ll never forget the excitement of scoring my first goal at The Valley in front of the Covered End.

"I’d like to wish everyone at the club the best of luck for the rest of the season.”