Cole Palmer liked what he heard from Roy Keane who made his view on England selection clear
Cole Palmer says it’s nice to hear he’s getting praise from Roy Keane who hailed his cameo against Slovenia.
The England youngster came on as a substitute in the team’s 0-0 draw and has earned high praise for his first run out at a senior major tournament.
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Palmer boosted England’s attacking threat in the 20 minutes he playedCredit: GettyIn an otherwise uninspiring game for England, which was the last of the group stage games, Palmer brought an attacking edge to the side that Gareth Southgate’s side had been crying out for – and as a result, he’s earned high praise from Keane.
The former Manchester United midfielder – who doesn’t hand out plaudits to just anyone – told ITV: “He’s so unpredictable, he can beat a man, go left or right.
“A lot of brilliant players affect the game, when he came on, you knew he was going to affect the game.
“Every time he got it, we were looking at him. I’m hard to impress and I’m thinking ‘something is going to happen’. Every time he gets the ball you think something is going to happen…
MORE ON EURO 2024“He will think he should be in that starting XI. He won’t think ‘I’m learning and I’m glad to be here’. He will be looking at Gareth, like the big personalities do, thinking ‘get me out there’.”
And when Palmer was asked after the game how it felt for Keane to be clamouring for him to start in the next round, his face broke out into a smile.
“Yeah, it’s always nice to hear,” the Chelsea star said. “Especially [from] someone like Roy Keane who obviously played internationally and for Man United so yeah it’s nice to hear.
“But, it’s up to the manager now and what he wants to do.”
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Palmer was pleased to hear Keane’s praiseCredit: YouTubePalmer netted a whopping 26 goals and bagged 15 assists in his first season for Chelsea this term after signing for ÂŁ42.5million from Man City last summer.
The 22-year-old’s performances earned him his first call-up to a senior major tournament.
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And if Southgate shares Keane’s view of Chelsea’s topscorer, it’s likely Palmer will play more and more minutes as the competition goes on.
Meanwhile, another Manchester United legend, Gary Neville, also hailed Palmer and pushed for Red Devils youngster Kobbie Mainoo to start the next game, too.
The two England youngsters have been used sparingly by Southgate so far this tournament despite the Three Lions stuttering to two draws and a slim 1-0 win over Serbia so far.Â
Those results saw them finish top of Group C, with their next opponents likely to be the Netherlands in the round of 16, live on talkSPORT.
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He replaced Bukayo Saka in the second halfCredit: GettyBut despite England’s lacklustre performances and his minimal involvement so far, Palmer’s still bursting with confidence.
Quizzed on whether his self belief levels have been damaged at all at the tournament, he said: “I’m full of belief after the season I had. I don’t see why I should be down and stuff like that.
“I just try to stay positive and when I get on, make an impact.”
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