Sky Sports journalist Michael Bridge believes that Conor Gallagher is a "huge part" of what Patrick Vieira is building at Crystal Palace this season.
How has Gallagher started the campaign?
Gallagher arrived at Selhurst Park on a season-long loan from Chelsea at the end of July, and has hit the ground running in south London.
The 21-year-old announced himself to the Palace faithful in just his second game for the club, bagging a brace away at West Ham in a 2-2 draw. He then followed that up by providing an assist against Tottenham during a 3-0 win, and won a penalty for his side earlier this week at home to Brighton.
He has played a key role in helping Palace collect six points from their opening six matches, which leaves them three points above the relegation zone.
What has Bridge said about Gallagher?
Bridge has been extremely impressed by what he's seen from Gallagher in the opening weeks of the season, and he feels that the midfielder will be integral to Vieira's plans over the coming months.
Speaking to GIVEMESPORT about Gallagher, he said: "You go and watch a Palace game, you’ve got him on loan, homegrown, young, English. I saw the West Ham-Palace game, he was phenomenal. He got both goals and one of the goals, he showed such skill.
“That’s a great loan signing for Palace.
"You’re slowly seeing Vieira’s way, and I think Gallagher’s a huge part of that, just pushing forward."
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Is he already Palace's most important player?
The Eagles do still have Wilfried Zaha on their books, who has been their main man in recent years, and has found the net in the side's last two home games against Tottenham and Brighton.
Furthermore, summer signings Joachim Andersen and Marc Guehi appear to have settled in quickly at Palace, and are forming a promising partnership at the back, which could blossom as the season progresses.
However, Gallagher, who is valued at £13.5m by Transfermarkt, seems to be at the heart of everything that Vieira's men are doing well at the moment, using his energy from midfield to make telling contributions in the final third of the pitch.
Other players will need to step up if Palace are going to push on this year and possibly challenge for a top-half finish, but right now, Gallagher seems content to take on the responsibility of being the key figure that everyone looks to for inspiration as he continues to produce high-class performances on a weekly basis.