Nigel Pearson tips Paul Gallagher for key long-term role with Leicester City

Nigel Pearson said he never doubted the finishing qualities of Saturday's hat-trick hero Paul Gallagher.

The summer signing from Blackburn Rovers had previously scored only two goals for Leicester City this season, both in the 2-0 win over Crystal Palace in October.

However, Gallagher scored a fantastic treble as City hammered Scunthorpe United 5-1 at the Walkers Stadium.

Gallagher's goal-scoring form came at the perfect time for City because top-scorer Matty Fryatt faces eight weeks on the sidelines as he recovers from a broken jaw.

Pearson said he was confident his side would be able to cope, although he admitted Fryatt would still be missed.

"I was pleased with Paul because he has received a fair bit of criticism, which I think has been unfair, so it was good for him to go away with the match-ball," he said.

"I am delighted for him because it answers one or two who have questioned him.

"I have no questions about what a good finisher he is. I suppose it is what other people think. He will be a very important player for this club over the next few years.

"We always believed we had goals in the squad and Paul is a striker who has been playing in various positions and he has got a great hat-trick.

"Matty will still be a big miss for us because he is the type of player who scores goals for us in tight games.

"I think the important thing to remember is, if we stay around the play-off places for as long as we have done for most of the season, when he is fit again he can, hopefully, have a positive impact.

"It was about getting the right result. We have done that and it was pretty emphatic. But, when Matty is fit again, he can have a positive impact in what is still a very exciting season for us."

After back-to-back goalless draws at the Walkers Stadium, including a disappointing 0-0 stalemate with Doncaster Rovers on Tuesday, no-one could have predicted the emphatic nature in which City hammered the Iron, but Pearson said it was just reward for his side's performance.

"It is a great win for us, regardless of the situation," he said. "Five goals is always very satisfying because it doesn't happen very often.

"Scoring goals has been difficult for us this season and yet we have scored five today.

"I think after the result the other night it was good to just get a win. We came in for some criticism the other evening so I am pleased with the players.

"We have been trying to do the right things and it was important to get the first goal. Michael Morrison has again come up with the first goal.

"When you try to dissect what has happened today it could be very easy to sit here and be a bit smug about.

"But the difference between the game against Doncaster and today are that the margins for error are quite small, and yet I am sitting here and we have won 5-1."