LONDON (AFP) – Cole Palmer said his surprise move from Treble winners Manchester City to Premier League rivals Chelsea is already paying off after he earned a first England call-up.
Palmer scored for City in the Community Shield in August and again in the UEFA Super Cup but joined free-spending Chelsea in a deal worth up to GBP42.5 million on transfer deadline day, September 1.
The 21-year-old forward has scored four times and provided four assists in 11 appearances since arriving at Stamford Bridge.
He was called up to Gareth Southgate’s England squad after injuries to James Maddison, Callum Wilson and Lewis Dunk.
“It happened fast, to be fair,” Palmer said at a press conference ahead of England’s final two Euro 2024 qualifiers, referring to his move.
“I spoke to someone at Chelsea and I was speaking to my dad, but I really didn’t know what to do.
“I was just thinking about it for a couple of days, like near enough every minute of the day.
“But then I just thought for my career and stuff I have to go and try and get regular game time.
“It was a big move for me. I’d never been out of Manchester, not even on loan or anything like that, so to move down there on my own was a big thing.”
A combination of injury and competition at Manchester City restricted Palmer to just seven starts last year as the club won the Champions League, Premier League and FA Cup.
