Last summer, after contributing as a peripheral player to Manchester City’s treble-winning campaign, Palmer moved to Chelsea. In retrospect, his decision was vindicated. In an interview today, Palmer also mentioned that he was surprised to be called up for national team duty.
Discussing his departure from Manchester City, Palmer explained that the arrival of Doku pushed him further to the bench. Despite impressive performances in the Community Shield and the UEFA Super Cup, he couldn’t convince himself to stay. Foden, in an interview, said, “He could only get a few minutes here and there, and it frustrated him. We talked about it a few times, and eventually, he decided to leave.”
Palmer told SportBible, “Last summer, I didn’t envision myself playing in the Euros. The coach would tell us, ‘Boys, our goal is to make the national team.’ But when you look at the squad, you think, ‘Oh, there are so many great players to compete with.'”
“I never doubted my abilities, but many factors came together for this to happen, and I was genuinely surprised,” he added.
Since joining Chelsea, Palmer has made 45 appearances, scoring 25 goals and providing 15 assists, establishing himself as one of England’s first-choice forwards.