# Cole Palmer
**Cole Palmer** (born 2002) is an English professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Chelsea of the Premier League and for the England national team. A left-footed creator and goalscorer who can play wide or as a central number 10, he joined Chelsea from his hometown club Manchester City in the summer of 2023 and became one of the Premier League's most productive players.[1](https://www.englandfootball.com/england/mens-senior-team/squad/cole-palmer) • [2](https://learning.coachesvoice.com/cv/cole-palmer-position-style-of-play-chelsea/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 2002, Manchester, England; 6 ft 1 in (185 cm); preferred foot left[1](https://www.englandfootball.com/england/mens-senior-team/squad/cole-palmer) |
| Clubs | Manchester City academy (joined at under-8s level) to summer 2023; Chelsea from summer 2023[3](https://www.mancity.com/news/mens/who-is-cole-palmer-63728706) • [1](https://www.englandfootball.com/england/mens-senior-team/squad/cole-palmer) |
| England | Senior debut 17 November 2023; 14 senior caps, 2 senior goals[1](https://www.englandfootball.com/england/mens-senior-team/squad/cole-palmer) |
| Breakout season | 2023/24: 20 Premier League goals, level with Erling Haaland in the Golden Boot race as of April 2024; 22 goals and 11 assists overall[4](https://www.premierleague.com/en/news/3977639) • [5](https://as.com/us/futbol/cole-palmer-el-mas-decisivo-del-chelsea-de-pochettino-n/) |
| Contract | Extended to 2033 in August 2024, then to 2034 soon after the start of the 2026/27 season[7](https://www.chelseafc.com/en/teams/profile/cole-palmer) |
| Output at Chelsea | 57 Premier League goals and assists from the start of 2023/24 to December 2025, fourth among Premier League players[8](https://www.premierleague.com/en/news/4497475/analysis-how-palmer-can-reignite-chelseas-misfiring-attack) |
## Early career at Manchester City
Palmer was born in [Wythenshawe](https://www.edgepedia.org/wythenshawe), Manchester, and joined Manchester City at under-8s level, progressing through the academy ranks.[1](https://www.englandfootball.com/england/mens-senior-team/squad/cole-palmer) • [3](https://www.mancity.com/news/mens/who-is-cole-palmer-63728706) His senior debut came on 30 September 2020, aged 18, in a Carabao Cup win over Burnley, followed by a late cameo away at [Marseille](https://www.edgepedia.org/marseille) in the Champions League.[9](https://live.mancity.com/news/mens/man-city-cole-palmer-career-gallery-63829152) • [10](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/we-had-so-many-brilliant-players-in-the-academy-but-cole-had-moments-of-skill-that-could-blow-you-away-i-was-constantly-in-touch-with-pep-about-his-performances-manchester-citys-youth-boss-on-cole-palmers-ability) He was regularly training with [Pep Guardiola](https://www.edgepedia.org/pep-guardiola)'s first team by the age of 19.[10](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/we-had-so-many-brilliant-players-in-the-academy-but-cole-had-moments-of-skill-that-could-blow-you-away-i-was-constantly-in-touch-with-pep-about-his-performances-manchester-citys-youth-boss-on-cole-palmers-ability)
His youth record was strong. In one under-18 league title-winning campaign he scored 15 goals and provided 5 assists in 14 Under-18 Premier League appearances, and he captained the Academy side to a 6-0 win over Stoke City in the Under-18 Premier League Cup final, scoring twice.[3](https://www.mancity.com/news/mens/who-is-cole-palmer-63728706) He was part of City's first-team squad during the 2022-23 season, in which the club won the Premier League.[1](https://www.englandfootball.com/england/mens-senior-team/squad/cole-palmer)
## Move to Chelsea and 2023/24 breakout
Palmer moved to Chelsea in the summer of 2023, choosing regular first-team football at Stamford Bridge and a chance to work under new head coach [Mauricio Pochettino](https://www.edgepedia.org/mauricio-pochettino).[1](https://www.englandfootball.com/england/mens-senior-team/squad/cole-palmer) The move required little time to pay off. By April 2024 his 20 Premier League goals had put him level with [Erling Haaland](https://www.edgepedia.org/erling-haaland) in the race for the 2023/24 Castrol Golden Boot, and Chelsea scored an average of 2.2 goals per league match when he started against 1.3 when he did not.[4](https://www.premierleague.com/en/news/3977639)
He finished the season with 22 goals and 11 assists in the Premier League, becoming, at 22 years and 13 days, the youngest player in the competition's history to end a season as the sole leader in goal participations.[5](https://as.com/us/futbol/cole-palmer-el-mas-decisivo-del-chelsea-de-pochettino-n/)
## Sustained output and trophies
Palmer's productivity has stayed near the top of the league. From the start of 2023/24 to December 2025 he recorded 57 Premier League goals and assists, a total exceeded in that period only by [Mohamed Salah](https://www.edgepedia.org/mohamed-salah) (81), Erling Haaland (75), and [Ollie Watkins](https://www.edgepedia.org/ollie-watkins) (59).[8](https://www.premierleague.com/en/news/4497475/analysis-how-palmer-can-reignite-chelseas-misfiring-attack) In 2024/25 he was again Chelsea's leading scorer (15) and assister (8) in the league, creating 24 big chances for teammates.[8](https://www.premierleague.com/en/news/4497475/analysis-how-palmer-can-reignite-chelseas-misfiring-attack)
With Chelsea he has won the Europa Conference League and, in the summer of 2025, the Club World Cup, in which the Blues beat Paris Saint-Germain 3-0 in the final.[6](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/cole-palmer-reminds-me-of-frank-lampard-theyre-dangerous-all-the-time-former-chelsea-man-geremi-on-what-makes-chelseas-current-talisman-so-special) • [8](https://www.premierleague.com/en/news/4497475/analysis-how-palmer-can-reignite-chelseas-misfiring-attack) Soon after the start of the 2026/27 campaign he signed a new contract running until 2034.[7](https://www.chelseafc.com/en/teams/profile/cole-palmer)
## England career
Palmer represented England at numerous development levels, including the MU17s at the 2019 UEFA U17 EURO Finals and the MU21s from 2021. Under [Lee Carsley](https://www.edgepedia.org/lee-carsley) he was one of the stand-out players as England won the 2023 U21 EURO, beating Spain in the final, with his free kick providing the assist for [Curtis Jones](https://www.edgepedia.org/curtis-jones-footballer)' winning goal.[1](https://www.englandfootball.com/england/mens-senior-team/squad/cole-palmer)
He received his first senior call-up in November 2023 for games with Malta and [North Macedonia](https://www.edgepedia.org/north-macedonia) after a strong start to the 2023-24 season, and made his senior debut on 17 November 2023. He has since earned 14 senior caps and scored 2 senior goals, and was named England men's player of the year for 2024.[1](https://www.englandfootball.com/england/mens-senior-team/squad/cole-palmer) He scored in the Euro 2024 final.[11](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/person/player/best-players-in-the-world-2025)
## Style of play
Palmer is a left-footed attacking player who can operate wide in a front three or in a central number 10 position, exploiting space between center-backs or between a full-back and center-back, and generating many of his open-play shots from a rapid shift-and-shoot technique.[2](https://learning.coachesvoice.com/cv/cole-palmer-position-style-of-play-chelsea/) Under Enzo Maresca he has been used extensively as an advanced playmaker behind the center-forward, after spending most of his early Chelsea career as a right winger.[12](https://totalfootballanalysis.com/player-analysis/cole-palmer-202425-scout-report-tactical-analysis-tactics?currency=usd%2F5) In matches where Chelsea are underdogs, Maresca has also used him floating in off the right side, as in the 3-0 Club World Cup final win over Paris Saint-Germain.[8](https://www.premierleague.com/en/news/4497475/analysis-how-palmer-can-reignite-chelseas-misfiring-attack)
His coolness from the penalty spot became a trademark, and he is regarded as one of the Premier League's most efficient and instinctive goalscorers in high-pressure situations.[11](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/person/player/best-players-in-the-world-2025) His importance to Chelsea is measurable: since 2023/24 the club's win ratio has been 51.50% in the 68 league matches he started against 45.0% in the 20 he did not, with average goals for of 1.9 versus 1.5.[8](https://www.premierleague.com/en/news/4497475/analysis-how-palmer-can-reignite-chelseas-misfiring-attack)
## Injuries and form fluctuations
Palmer's 2025/26 season was severely disrupted by groin and toe injuries that forced him to miss 10 of Chelsea's first 15 Premier League matches; he returned to the side in December 2025 with his output improving from February onwards.[8](https://www.premierleague.com/en/news/4497475/analysis-how-palmer-can-reignite-chelseas-misfiring-attack) He has said that playing free of injury is what he believes will make the biggest difference to his form.[13](https://www.chelseafc.com/en/news/article/palmer-on-playing-free-alongside-rogers)
## References
1. [England Football player profile: Cole Palmer, The FA](https://www.englandfootball.com/england/mens-senior-team/squad/cole-palmer)
2. [Cole Palmer: position and style of play, Coaches' Voice](https://learning.coachesvoice.com/cv/cole-palmer-position-style-of-play-chelsea/)
3. [Cole Palmer - Everything you need to know, Manchester City FC](https://www.mancity.com/news/mens/who-is-cole-palmer-63728706)
4. [Do stats show Chelsea have become 'Cole Palmer Football Club'?, Premier League](https://www.premierleague.com/en/news/3977639)
5. [Cole Palmer, el más decisivo del Chelsea de Pochettino, AS](https://as.com/us/futbol/cole-palmer-el-mas-decisivo-del-chelsea-de-pochettino-n/)
6. ['Cole Palmer reminds me of Frank Lampard', FourFourTwo](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/cole-palmer-reminds-me-of-frank-lampard-theyre-dangerous-all-the-time-former-chelsea-man-geremi-on-what-makes-chelseas-current-talisman-so-special)
7. [Cole Palmer profile, Chelsea FC official site](https://www.chelseafc.com/en/teams/profile/cole-palmer)
8. [Analysis: How Palmer can reignite Chelsea's misfiring attack, Premier League](https://www.premierleague.com/en/news/4497475/analysis-how-palmer-can-reignite-chelseas-misfiring-attack)
9. [Palmer's City career in pictures, Manchester City FC](https://live.mancity.com/news/mens/man-city-cole-palmer-career-gallery-63829152)
10. [Manchester City's youth boss on Cole Palmer's ability, FourFourTwo](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/we-had-so-many-brilliant-players-in-the-academy-but-cole-had-moments-of-skill-that-could-blow-you-away-i-was-constantly-in-touch-with-pep-about-his-performances-manchester-citys-youth-boss-on-cole-palmers-ability)
11. [Ranked! The 100 best players in the world, 2025, FourFourTwo](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/person/player/best-players-in-the-world-2025)
12. [Cole Palmer Scout Report At Chelsea 2024/2025, Total Football Analysis](https://totalfootballanalysis.com/player-analysis/cole-palmer-202425-scout-report-tactical-analysis-tactics?currency=usd%2F5)
13. [Cole Palmer on playing free alongside Morgan Rogers, Chelsea FC](https://www.chelseafc.com/en/news/article/palmer-on-playing-free-alongside-rogers)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Association football › Football people and teams › People › Men's footballers of the British Isles (modern era) › English footballers 2015–present › Wingers and attacking midfielders › English attacking midfielders*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license