Chelsea star Cole Palmer has revealed which two footballing idols inspired him to change his shirt number heading into the FIFA Club World Cup. The 23-year-old previously sported the number 20 at Stamford Bridge, but made his debut as the number 10 in the Blues' 2-0 victory over LAFC in the first game of the summer's competition.
Palmer stepped into the coveted number 10 shirt at Chelsea, taking over from Mykhailo Mudryk, who was recently charged by the FA for violating anti-doping rules. Now, the ex-Manchester City starlet has opened up about the legendary players who inspired his decision to don the iconic jersey.
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Palmer Names Messi and Rooney as his Number 10 Idols
The English star admired the duo growing up
When asked why he opted for the number 10, Palmer explained that was the number he always used to wear growing up, citing Lionel Messi and Wayne Rooney as his two biggest role models and reasons behind the choice of jersey:
"Messi, the big one, Rooney and players like that. It's just an iconic number. I wore No. 10 all my life growing up and I just like the number."
Eight-time Ballon d'Or winner Messi is arguably the greatest footballer of all time, and has been synonymous with the number 10 ever since taking the shirt at Barcelona following Ronaldinho's move to AC Milan.
Meanwhile, Rooney was one of the focal points at Old Trafford during Palmer's childhood, with the former Manchester City academy graduate growing up as a Manchester United fan. Rooney first took the number in 2007 after it had been vacant for a year following Ruud van Nistelrooy's move to Real Madrid.
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Prior to that, United's all-time top scorer had worn the number eight, while he had also worn the number nine for England at both Euro 2004 and the 2006 World Cup.
Palmer Reveals Why He Wore Mask During Flight to the United States
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Palmer also enlightened fans on the reason why he was seen wearing a face mask as Chelsea touched down in the States ahead of the Club World Cup. The 23-year-old was spotted emerging from the plane that carried the squad wearing the mask, as some questioned whether or not he was unwell.
The rather humorous reason, though, is far less serious, as Palmer told Hayters TV: "It weren't a joke, I just don't like the smell of planes. So that's why I wear a mask.
"When I travel, I feel like the smells and that, I just don't like them. Stuff like (the air-conditioning), so that's why I wear masks, not anything else."
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