Former Premier League striker Jermaine Defoe has described Cole Palmer as a special player and believes he’s a “coaches dream.”
Palmer is preparing for his second season at Stamford Bridge following his arrival from Manchester City last summer and Chelsea will be hoping he can recreate his form from his impressive debut campaign.
The 22-year-old exceeded all expectations as he was named Premier League Young Player of the Year after scoring 22 goals and providing 11 assists in an incredible campaign.
Palmer a coaches dream
The England international got his first minutes of pre-season in last Sunday’s draw against Inter Milan having missed the tour of America due to his exploits with England at Euro 2024.
Palmer was handed a boost ahead of the new campaign as he was rewarded with a new two year contract extension which includes a pay rise and ties him down at the club until 2033.
All eyes will be on the Englishman again this season and there will be an expectation for him to deliver, but the Blues will be hoping their supporting cast can step up and take some of the pressure off Palmer.
The former City man will once again be one of the players to watch next season and speaking ahead of the new season former Tottenham striker Defoe was full of praise for the attacker.
“I like his temperament. He’s so calm and he gets on with business,” he told Sky Sports Premier League.
“Technically, he is gifted. A lot of things he does, you cannot coach. It’s just natural. He just does it and it’s off the cuff.
“He’s a special player, which is why he’s signed a longer contract. He’s one of those players that can create something out of nothing. He is a coach’s dream.”
Even though he’s only played 45 minutes in pre-season it’s likely Enzo Maresca will put Palmer straight into the starting line-up on Sunday and you wouldn’t bet against him making an impact against his former side.
