Cole Palmer wins huge England award as Bellingham and Kane snubbed | Football | Sport
Chelsea star Cole Palmer has been named England men’s Player of the Year for 2023-24, beating out the likes of Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham to the prestigious award.
The 22-year-old only made his Three Lions debut in November and has just nine caps to his name, but already has the backing of the fans by winning the public-voted accolade.
Palmer was chosen ahead of Bellingham and Bukayo Saka, who finished second and third respectively, after the Arsenal winger won the award in each of the previous two years.
Palmer has made just two starts for his country but in five substitute appearances at Euro 2024, made quite the impression, and scored in the final only to lose out to goals from Nico Williams and Mikel Oyarzabal of Spain in a 2-1 defeat.
Palmer is the first Chelsea player to receive the recognition since Ashley Cole, now his England coach, in 2010. Frank Lampard also won the award in 2003 and 2004, with the award created in 2003 as David Beckham first took the honour.
The 2023-24 England women’s Player of the Year is set to be announced later this month.
Palmer controversially did not make a single start for England at Euro 2024, with Gareth Southgate preferring Saka on the right and Bellingham as his most advanced midfielder, but Three Lions fans have cast their judgement and subsequently rewarded the Chelsea man for his impact off the bench.
Since moving to Stamford Bridge from Manchester City, Palmer has scored 31 goals in 54 appearances in all competitions en route to the award in addition to being named Premier League Young Player of the Season, PFA Young Player of the Year, Chelsea Player and Player’s Player of the Season.
In a congratulatory message to their talisman, Chelsea wrote: “The award is further recognition of the 22-year-old’s influential and decisive performances for club and country since the start of last season.”
Palmer is one of the world’s most potent attackers at the moment, but interim England boss Lee Carsley incredibly claimed that he could use the new player of the year as a left-back in upcoming Nations League matches with Greece and Finland.
“[Trent Alexander-Arnold] can play there. Bukayo can play there, Cole can play there, so there’s quite a few,” Carsley said when asked about the left-back position.
“Obviously you want to get the best out of them in their most natural positions. We know if we play a right-footed player there, at left-back, that we’re going to have to build differently and be creative in the way we set up.”
It certainly would be one way to solve the dilemma of getting Palmer, Saka, Bellingham and Phil Foden all on the pitch at the same time.
