Cole Palmer has been named the Premier League Young Player of the Year for 2023-24.
The Chelsea star began the season scoring for Manchester City in both the Community Shield and UEFA Super Cup, before making a surprise £42.5million move to Stamford Bridge on summer transfer deadline day.
Given the often-haphazard nature of the Blues’ transfer dealings, some were pessimistic about Palmer’s chances of immediate success in west London, however he has shone for his new club.
After scoring his first goal in the October win at Burnley, he quickly became one of the first names on the Chelsea teamsheet under Mauricio Pochettino with strikes past Arsenal, Tottenham and former side City - which came as a stoppage-time penalty to level up a wild 4-4 draw.
Palmer has gone from strength to strength ever since, scoring a hat-trick against Manchester United in April before a four-goal haul at home to Everton - which included a ‘perfect’ treble inside just half an hour - shortly afterwards.
Ahead of Sunday’s final top-flight game of the season against Bournemouth, he sits on a record of 22 league goals and 10 assists in 33 appearances, one of which came for City on the opening weekend.
He has 27 goals and 14 assists across all competitions and trails holder Erling Haaland by five in the race for this season’s Premier League Golden Boot with just one match to play after the latter’s recent four goals against Wolves and brace to see off Tottenham.
Gareth Southgate handed Palmer his senior England debut back in November and he is expected to make the squad for Euro 2024 next week.
📣 Introducing your @Hublot Young Player of the Season...
— Premier League (@premierleague) May 17, 2024
🔵 Cole Palmer 🔵#PLAwards | @ChelseaFC pic.twitter.com/fd8vBgMZaa
Bukayo Saka won the Young Player of the Year trophy last season after Phil Foden claimed the honour in the previous two years.
Chelsea’s last winner was Eden Hazard in 2014. Scott Parker took home the gong in 2004, having spent half the first half of that season at Charlton.
This year, Palmer beat former City team-mates Haaland and Foden and Arsenal duo Saka and William Saliba to the honour, with Manchester United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo having also been nominated along with Tottenham full-back Destiny Udogie and Newcastle striker Alexander Isak.
The award was decided by a panel of football experts combined with a general public vote, which ran until Monday.
Palmer was also nominated for the main Premier League Player of the Season award, alongside Haaland, Foden, Isak, Martin Odegaard, Declan Rice, Virgil van Dijk and Ollie Watkins. The winner is expected to be confirmed on Saturday.
The 22-year-old has already won Chelsea’s Men’s Player of the Season and Players’ Player of the Season awards this term, while he also won both Player of the Month and Goal of the Month in the Premier League for April. Somewhat remarkably, was the first Chelsea player since Hazard in 2018 to win Player of the Month.
Palmer was on Thursday also nominated for the PFA Premier League Player of the Year award, though Foden took home the Football Writers’ Association’s (FWA) Footballer of the Year prize later on.
