Why Cole Palmer deserves England player of the Year award ahead of Arsenal and Real Madrid stars
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In just a year, Cole Palmer has moved from being a player on the fringes at Manchester City to one of the biggest stars in the Premier League.
At the age of 21, he made the tough decision to accept a move to a troubled Chelsea side, a club struggling to rebuild following a change of ownership. Palmer was guaranteed trophies at Man City, who had just come off a treble-winning season, but he chose the harder path to stardom, and it has paid off with him becoming a world-beater. The tough decision he made last summer has culminated in him being crowned England Men's Player of the Year for 2023/24. This award is voted on by players who have featured in at least 50% of England’s senior international fixtures between September 2023 and July 2024.
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Hide AdFollowing the announcement, there has been debate over whether the Chelsea star deserves the award. Some argue that Jude Bellingham, who came in second, has been robbed, while others believe the award should have gone to Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka, who placed third. Many people also believe it was right to name Palmer as England Men's Player of the Year for 2023/24. Out of nowhere, he has risen to become a superstar while playing for a club in crisis. He singlehandedly dragged Chelsea back into European football with 22 goals and six assists in the Premier League. His assist tally doesn’t do justice to his creativity, as the Chelsea attackers were overly wasteful last season.
Critics point to his lack of trophies to argue against him, but what they miss is that the award is about individual performance and not a player's club’s glory. For instance, Kalvin Phillips at Leeds United won it in 2021, ahead of second-placed Mason Mount, who was a UEFA Champions League winner. Saka won it back-to-back in 2022 and 2023 without a trophy to show. If Bellingham had won it, it would have been thoroughly deserved after an outstanding season. Palmer also thoroughly deserves it after an unimaginable season. More than one person can deserve an award, especially since all the names in question performed exceptionally well.
Palmer didn’t start a single game for the Three Lions at Euro 2024, but that is not his fault; it was the decision of a coach who wanted to be overly pragmatic. Even so, the impact of the Chelsea playmaker was felt in the few minutes he played. Coming off the bench, he assisted in the semi-finals against the Netherlands and scored in the grand final against Spain, giving England hope of ending their trophy drought.
In just a year, Palmer has bagged the following awards: London Football Awards Men's Young Player of the Year, Chelsea Player of the Season, Chelsea Player's Player of the Season, Premier League Young Player of the Season, PFA Fans' Player of the Year, PFA Young Player of the Year, and Premier League Game Changer of the Season: 2023–24.
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Hide AdHe also made it to the Premier League Fan Team of the Season and the Fantasy Premier League Team of the Season: 2023–24. Capping his individual honours with England Men's Player of the Year for 2023/24 in his first season as a regular in the Premier League shows he is destined for greatness.
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