Chelsea talisman and former Manchester Metropolis academy graduate Cole Palmer has revealed he grew up idolising Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney.
Palmer was raised within the Manchester suburb of Wythenshawe and his household nonetheless reside within the space. Regardless of becoming a member of Metropolis‘s youth setup as an eight-year-old, the prodigious playmaker was a United fan.
Gaining an appreciation of the game in the direction of the top of Sir Alex Ferguson’s trophy-laden reign, Palmer’s consideration was captured by Rooney specifically. The England worldwide stays United’s all-time high scorer, rattling in 253 targets throughout his 13 years in Manchester.
Rooney’s memorable strikes all the time caught with Palmer. “If he’d scored a objective on the weekend, I might exit and see if I may do it,” the Chelsea ahead remembered in a latest interview with The Telegraph.
The unwitting regulars at Wythenshawe’s Energy League was subjected to Palmer’s Rooney recreations as just lately as a yr earlier than he broke into Metropolis’s treble-winning group.
Palmer was afforded simply two Premier League begins throughout his ultimate season on the Etihad earlier than sealing a transfer to Chelsea in 2023 which nearly by no means occurred.
The England worldwide could have wanted some persuading to affix Chelsea, however he was retrospectively happy to get away. “It was good to get out of the consolation zone,” Palmer mirrored. “Manchester was standard, standard. So one thing recent was wanted, I feel.”
Adaptation to life at Chelsea on the pitch has been seamless. Solely Metropolis’s Erling Haaland outscored Palmer within the Premier League final season and the 22-year-old has already rattled in seven targets this time period.
The cultural change to dwelling in London has been extra of a course of. “Manchester’s higher,” Palmer admitted, “however I do not thoughts it. I do prefer it round right here, as a result of it is quiet, there aren’t any distractions. Everybody you’ll exit with on a day-to-day foundation is nowhere close to you.”
