The festive season is always a busy time in the Gallagher household, as several of Conor’s siblings are also involved in the game at non-league level, but this year it’s extra special as he comes up against a club where he enjoyed an impressive loan spell.

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‘It was an amazing time, an amazing season,’ he says of his time at Selhurst Park. ‘They helped me improve a lot as a player and a person. I’m very thankful and I look back at my memories there with joy, so I’m very grateful to the club.

‘Patrick Vieira helped me a lot that season and the way he played allowed me to show the best version of myself on the pitch. That’s why it was a good season, individually.

‘It gave me a lot of confidence, playing for Palace, which helped me believe I could come back to Chelsea and get in the first team. That was always the aim for me, so I was very thankful to Crystal Palace.’

Conor also speaks about the pride he feels every time he pulls on the armband at Chelsea, having first led the team out earlier this season against AFC Wimbledon.

‘It’s a really proud feeling and it was an honour to wear the armband for the games I have done this season,’ he says.

‘I’m really thankful to the manager for giving me that responsibility, and I’ve really enjoyed doing it and helping the team, on and off the pitch. I like the responsibility, I enjoy it.’

The programme also includes columns with Reece James, Mauricio Pochettino, Women’s team manager Emma Hayes and Academy head coaches Mark Robinson and Hassan Sulaiman.

There’s also plenty of historical content, including a piece with Bobby Tambling, once the club’s all-time leading scorer, looking back at the time he spent at Selhurst Park in the Seventies after leaving Chelsea.

The famous Boxing Day of 1963 also comes under the microscope. The round of fixtures that year, in which 66 goals were scored across 10 Division One matches, is referenced on a near-annual basis these days, but do you know what Chelsea’s contribution was to that tally? Check out the Long Read for the full story.

Make sure to pick up your copy from the programme sellers around Stamford Bridge, or order one online from our publications partner Reach Sport here.