Cole Palmer has been named the England Men’s Player of the Year for the 2023/24 season, marking a significant milestone in his young career.
The 22-year-old became the first Chelsea player to receive this honour since Ashley Cole in 2010. According to the BBC, the winner of the prestigious accolade was determined by public votes.
Palmer edged out Jude Bellingham of Real Madrid and Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka, who placed second and third, respectively, Goal reports.
There was only one place for the occasion. 🧊
Presenting Cole Palmer as your England Men's Player of the Year connected by @EE… with the help of John Stones! 🏆 pic.twitter.com/pJX98ss81M
— England (@England) October 8, 2024
The accolade is even more remarkable, considering Palmer only made his international debut in November 2023 during England’s 2-0 victory over Malta at Wembley.
Since then, he has earned nine caps for the national team, with two starts.
Five of these appearances came during Euro 2024, including his goal in the final against Spain, a match England narrowly lost 2-1....Read Full Article [Click Here>]
While this award highlights Palmer’s growing impact on the national stage, it has sparked a debate among fans regarding its fairness.
Many supporters took to social media, voicing concerns that either Bellingham or Saka should have received the award, particularly given Bellingham’s standout season at Real Madrid.
Some felt Palmer’s relatively limited role at Euro 2024, where he wasn’t a regular starter, made him an unlikely candidate for such recognition.
One Twitter user, @EricNjiiru, expressed disbelief:
“It’s weird, as he barely played at the Euros. I’m not saying Palmer isn’t a good player, but for a year where we had the Euros, he can’t be the POTY when Southgate rarely played him.”
Another fan, @dennizzer_k, echoed this sentiment, stating,
“How is this possible when he didn’t even start in any single match in Euros??? England led by politics and PR games again.”
Meanwhile, @losblancoszone boldly claimed,
“Jude [Bellingham] got robbed.”
Another user, @ellyserwaaa, simply asked,
“What about Bellingham?”
@ChuksOhaxx concluded,
“Player of the Year award for someone who was a bench warmer in the Euros is crazy, to be honest.”
