During his tenure at Chelsea, John Terry played with several incredible players, including Joe Cole. However, the former club captain believes a current player has already surpassed him.
Cole played for the Blues from 2003 until 2010, becoming a club legend in the process as he played over 280 games for Chelsea.
His on-the-ball skills lit up the Premier League and allowed him to become an England regular, which is why he’s still fondly remembered by Chelsea fans.
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However, Terry is backing a much younger star in his ultimate Chelsea starting line-up.
Joe Cole on punditry duty
Photo by Robin Jones/Getty Images
John Terry believes Cole Palmer is better than Joe Cole was
Terry was asked to choose his ultimate Chelsea XI by the Icons Memorabilia TikTok, and two different players were given in each position.
When it came to his right-winger, Cole Palmer and Cole made the decision, and despite having never played with the former, Terry backed Palmer.
Terry didn’t always choose the younger options, though. In the defensive midfield role, he chose Claude Makelele over N’Golo Kante.
The Chelsea legend admitted that there were some “tough” decisions he had to make, but Palmer did edge it, proving what an impact he’s made since his £42.3million move from Manchester City.
Terry’s Ultimate XI: Cech; Cole, Cahill, Carvalho, Ivanovic; Makelele, Lampard, Essien; Palmer, Hazard; Drogba
How do Joe Cole and Cole Palmer compare at Chelsea?
Of course, Palmer is only at the start of his career and has only played two full seasons at Stamford Bridge compared to Cole’s seven.
Despite that, the 23-year-old has already overtaken Cole in one key metric, proving Terry’s statement right.
Player Cole Palmer
Games Played 282 101
Goals 39 45
Assists 47 29
Cole Palmer and Joe Cole’s Chelsea stats
Ultimately, Palmer and Cole differ most in their trophy cabinets, as the latter enjoyed more success in that area for the Blues so far.
Cole won three Premier League titles, two FA Cups, one League Cup, and a Community Shield at Chelsea and was also runner-up in the Champions League.
Palmer has only won the Europa Conference League and the Club World Cup during his tenure with the Blues. However, he does have Premier League and Champions League winners’ medals from his Manchester City stint.