Cole Palmer of England reacts following defeat during the UEFA EURO 2024 final match between Spain and England
Cole Palmer of England reacts following defeat during the UEFA EURO 2024 final match between Spain and England
Cole Palmer had little to prove when he stepped onto the turf in Dortmund last summer. The new Chelsea star had just bagged 33 goals and assists in 34 matches in his breakout Premier League campaign, and he was never likely to be a one-season wonder.
And yet, in a month where his teammates struggled creatively against weaker opposition, doubts still hung over the 22-year-old. Palmer was a spectator in the early days of the European Championships, unused as England laboured to four unconvincing points from their opening matches against Serbia and Denmark.
Granted, those doubts were largely from Gareth Southgate rather than the fanbase at large. But the fact Palmer still wasn't seen as a gamechanger by the Three Lions boss after such a blistering season would have affected anyone's morale. Or so you'd think.
Five months on and Palmer is once again thriving in the spotlight at Stamford Bridge, but it was that bit-part role in the summer that underlined the quality that has come to define him.
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He was gradually fed minutes from the bench as England limped to their second Euros final in three years, and they might not have made it at all if not for the Chelsea star. One ten minute cameo against the Netherlands in the semi-final proved crucial, and it said as much about Palmer's mentality than an entire goal-laden season with Chelsea.
Weaker minds would have struggled to adapt so quickly to such a high-stakes game having been largely untrusted in the weeks prior. His situation was comparable to fellow Fans' Footballer of the Year nominee Anthony Gordon, who was used even less despite the obvious need for a natural left winger, but who evidently didn't replicate his stunning Newcastle United form on the training pitches at England's camp in Blankenhain.
Perhaps the disappointment of missing out on a starting spot caused his head to drop, or maybe it was the unsettling links to his boyhood club Liverpool that impacted his focus. Either way, Palmer was clearly more immune to outside noises or mental distractions, and it eventually showed.
The former Manchester City man was brought on in the 71st, 66th and 78th minutes respectively in the lead up to the semi-final, then thrown on for ten minutes with the scores level and the game petering out in Dortmund. He was 40 yards from goal and had few teammates for support when he picked up the ball in the final seconds of the game. His through ball to assist Ollie Watkins' winner was as cool as his 'Cold Palmer' nickname.
And if the drama of Watkins' finish overshadowed that superb cameo, he at least had a brief moment in the spotlight four days later in Berlin when his impressive finish hauled England back into the final.
He had been on the pitch for only ten minutes against Holland, and for less than three against Spain, but those 13 minutes proved to the world that he was more than a flat track bully or a one-season wonder. It proved he had more than mere technical talent, too. Those two flashes of brilliance were as much about mental resilience.
People will only remember that semi-final for Ollie Watkins' finish. They'll remember the final for Spain's youthful panache and more English disappointment. But they'll one day remember Cole Palmer as an all time great.
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