Cole Palmer is an English professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder or winger for Premier League club Chelsea and the England national team.
Recognized as one of the most promising young talents in Europe, Palmer has garnered significant attention for his skills on the field.
Early life and Education
Cole Jermaine Palmer was born on May 6, 2002, in Wythenshawe, Manchester. He grew up in Wythenshawe with his sister, raised by a father who was a dental engineer and a mother who worked as a dyslexia assessor. Palmer’s father played Sunday league football for nearly twenty years, and Palmer often watched him play. He received a private education at St Bede’s College.
Career
A Manchester United fan, Palmer joined Manchester City at the under-eight level, progressing through the Academy ranks and captaining the under-18s during the 2019–20 season. Concerns about his slight physique arose when he was 14, leading some academy coaches to consider releasing him at 16. However, academy director Jason Wilcox decided against it.
On September 30, 2020, Palmer made his first-team debut for City in a 3–0 EFL Cup win over Burnley. He scored his first goal on September 21, 2021, in a 6–1 victory against Wycombe Wanderers in the EFL Cup. On October 16, Palmer appeared in a Premier League match against Burnley and scored a hat-trick for the under-23 side later that night. He netted his first UEFA Champions League goal on October 19 in a 5–1 win over Club Brugge. On January 7, 2022, he scored in his FA Cup debut, a 4–1 win over Swindon Town.
On August 6, 2023, Palmer scored in the FA Community Shield against Arsenal, but Arsenal equalized in stoppage time and won in a penalty shoot-out. Ten days later, Palmer scored his final goal for City in the UEFA Super Cup against Sevilla, with City winning 5–4 on penalties after a 1–1 draw.
On September 1, 2023, Palmer signed a seven-year contract with Chelsea, with an initial transfer fee of £40 million, potentially rising by £2.5 million in add-ons. He debuted the next day as a substitute in a 1–0 loss to Nottingham Forest. Palmer scored his first goal for Chelsea on October 7, converting a penalty and assisting in a 4–1 win over Burnley. He continued to impress, scoring and assisting in a 4–1 victory against Tottenham on November 6 and netting a stoppage-time penalty in a 4–4 draw with Manchester City six days later.
In Chelsea’s final match of 2023, Palmer scored twice and assisted another goal in a 3–2 win over Luton Town. His December performances, featuring four goals and two assists, earned him a nomination for the Premier League Player of the Month and his goal against Luton was nominated for Goal of the Month. On January 23, 2024, Palmer scored a brace in the EFL Cup semi-finals as Chelsea beat Middlesbrough 6–1 on aggregate. He became the first Chelsea player aged 21 or under to score 10 Premier League goals in a season on February 4, despite a 4–2 defeat to Wolverhampton Wanderers. Palmer was named Men’s Young Player of the Year at the 2024 London Football Awards on February 29. By assisting Axel Disasi’s goal against Brentford on March 2, Palmer surpassed Arjen Robben’s record for the most goal contributions by a Chelsea player aged 21 or younger.
On April 4, Palmer was nominated for the Premier League Player of the Month award again after scoring three goals and providing two assists in March. That day, he scored his first career hat-trick in a 4–3 win over Manchester United, becoming the 200th Premier League player to score a hat-trick and the third youngest to do so against United. On April 15, he scored four goals in a 6–0 win over Everton, becoming the first Chelsea player to score two Premier League hat-tricks in a season. He set a record for the fastest perfect hat-trick in Premier League history and became the first Chelsea player to score in seven consecutive home matches. Palmer also joined the ranks of Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Diego Costa by scoring at least 20 goals in his debut season.
On May 5, Palmer scored in a 5–0 win over West Ham, becoming the third Premier League player aged 21 or younger to contribute to 30 or more goals in a single season. He was named Chelsea Players’ Player of the Season and Chelsea Player of the Season, as well as winning the Premier League Player of the Month and Goal of the Month awards for April. Palmer marked his 50th Premier League appearance on May 11 with an assist in a 3–2 win over Nottingham Forest, joining an elite group of players to score 20 goals and provide 10 assists in a single season.
Palmer concluded the season with 27 goals and 15 assists, leading the Premier League with 33 goal contributions. He won the Premier League Young Player of the Season and PFA Fans’ Player of the Year awards, and was nominated for Premier League Player of the Season and FWA Footballer of the Year. His goal against Everton in April was also a contender for Premier League Goal of the Season.
Palmer represented England at the under-17 level in the 2019 UEFA European Under-17 Championship.
On August 27, 2021, Palmer received his first call-up to the England under-21 team. He scored on his debut in a 2–0 win over Kosovo during the 2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification. Later, he was part of the England squad for the 2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship, where he started in the final and helped the team win the tournament.
On November 13, 2023, Palmer was called up to the senior England national team for the first time ahead of their UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying matches against Malta and North Macedonia. He made his debut on November 17, coming on as a 61st-minute substitute in England’s 2–0 victory over Malta at Wembley Stadium.
Personal life
Palmer is of Kittitian descent through his father’s side. His grandfather emigrated in 1960, while his great-grandparents were part of the Windrush generation, migrating five years earlier. Palmer honors his heritage by emblazoning his boots with both the flag of England and the flag of Saint Kitts and Nevis.
Net Worth
Undisclosed