“It was close” – Chelsea star’s career almost had a very different path claims former coach | OneFootball

Cole Palmer’s rapid rise to one of the Premier League’s biggest stars from the moment he signed for Chelsea left a few people scratching their heads about how it had happened.

The kid had been highly rated for many years as a Man City youngster, but didn’t look ready for this sort of breakout. The moment he was given a chance at Chelsea he was a star, and instantly the Cityzens looked crazy for not giving him a bigger role sooner.

There’s a sense that the creator has always been a little under-appreciated, and speaking on the Talk of the Devils Manchester United podcast, former academy coach Colin Little explained he could have taken a different career path much earlier.

“I know Cole Palmer’s family quite well,” Little said.

“I know his dad and his uncle, and we were close to getting Cole Palmer when he was about 16, believe it or not. He was umming and ahhing and I knew he was a big United fan. He was at that age where you’re allowed to leave, 16 is it?

“And they were umming and ahhing, Manchester City, about it. I think in the end Manchester City made him a good enough offer. But really, he was always a Manchester United fan and it was close anyway, I remember speaking [to his parents]

Palmer doesn’t hesitate to jump ship and reap rewards

Cole Palmer in action for Chelsea against Southampton. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

In the end Palmer stayed a couple more years, but perhaps it shows that there were already doubts in his camp about whether he would ever get the chances he deserved at City.

“I think City needed to show him a bit more love and that kind of stuff. We never quite got it over the line but it would have been nice if we did, wouldn’t it?”, Little concluded.