Cole Palmer believes Manchester United once had one of the best players in history, but it wasn’t Cristiano Ronaldo.
While Palmer is unlikely to reach the unparalleled heights of GOATs Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, he has certainly impressed since joining Chelsea in 2023.
Last season, the forward inspired his side to success in the UEFA Conference League and the FIFA Club World Cup, with both trophies coming in Enzo Maresca’s first campaign in charge.
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Cole Palmer has also caught the eye this time around, despite being hampered by a groin issue, and he has now named the players he has to thank most for inspiring him.
Chelsea forward Cole Palmer looks on during his side's Champions League defeat against Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena
Photo by Boris Streubel/Getty Images
Cole Palmer chooses Wayne Rooney as third-best player ever
Asked to reveal his top five players of all time by Sports Direct, he delivered one or two surprising answers.
Palmer opted for Messi in the No 1 spot, declaring him his ‘GOAT’, before choosing former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain sensation Neymar as the runner-up.
He then placed Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney in third place, ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo.
While his opinions may well raise eyebrows in some corners, they do actually make perfect sense.
That is because Palmer supported Manchester United as a youngster and grew up idolising Rooney, despite progressing through Manchester City’s youth academy at the time.
Palmer has also openly spoken of his joy at playing at Old Trafford, having frequently visited during his youth. In February, he told Sky Sports: “When I do go back to the stadium [Old Trafford] it’s good because I used to go and watch matches there.”
Cole Palmer on being inspired by Wayne Rooney
Palmer initially wore the No 20 shirt at Chelsea following his move from Manchester City, but he switched jerseys to take his favourite No 10 ahead of this season.
It soon became apparent that Rooney was again a major factor in this change.
Asked if he saw any famous No 10s as role models, Palmer said: “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.”