"It was made clear that Cole was among the best young talents at the club and it was my job to assist his transition into senior football. In our first training sessions together, the thing that instantly set Cole apart from others was his movement. A lot of kids have incredible feet, they can shoot, they can pass the technical aspects of the game. But the mental side, having that understanding of space, can be crucial. Cole would make very intelligent runs all the time."
"Palmer was regularly training with Pep Guardiola's first team by the age of 19, with his debut coming in a Carabao Cup triumph at Burnley, before a late cameo away at Marseille in the Champions League. Palmer remained grounded. He was happy to play in any position you asked him to, with no complaints whatsoever, recalls Barry-Murphy. If you put him somewhere new, he wanted to master it."
Cole Palmer progressed through Manchester City's academy and England youth teams, featuring at the 2019 European Under-17 Championship. Early concerns over his physicality nearly led to release around age 14, but development staff retained and developed him, with an Elite Development Squad coach preparing him for senior football in 2021. Palmer's standout attributes included intelligent movement, understanding of space, technical skill, versatility, and adaptability. He trained regularly with the first team by 19, made a senior debut in a Carabao Cup win at Burnley and a Champions League cameo at Marseille, later joining Chelsea in 2023 and earning 12 England caps with two goals.
Read at www.fourfourtwo.com
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