‘I didn’t really watch him play’ — Palmer confesses not knowing Chelsea legend that he is compared to

The Blues star claimed not to know much about the Chelsea legend he was compared to

Chelsea’s star, Cole Palmer, remained unfazed in the face of comparisons to Chelsea icon Gianfranco Zola following his standout display in the Blues’ 2-1 victory over Newcastle United.

The 22-year-old, who scored the winner for the Blues admitted he didn’t know much about Zola beyond his FIFA icon status.

Palmer uncommited to Zola comparisons

The England star’s quick rise to prominence at Stamford Bridge, paired with his technical ability and creativity, has drawn praise and comparisons with the club’s Italian legend Zola, who scored 80 goals in all competitions for Chelsea.

But Palmer does not see the similarities, as he confessed to only knowing Zola from his football game stats.

Speaking after his man-of-the-match performance against Newcastle, Palmer was asked about comparisons to Zola, and replied, “I know he is an icon on FIFA, so he must have been good.

Zola scored 80 goals for Chelsea

The Chelsea youngster then added, “To be honest, I didn’t really watch him play. Everyone says he was a great player, so thank you.”

Maresca grateful for Palmer’s Zola-like talent

In Sunday’s match, Palmer showed exactly why fans have started comparing him to Zola, netting his seventh goal in nine league games with a powerful low shot past Nick Pope.

Beyond the goal, Palmer’s skill was evident early on as he picked up the ball under pressure, turned, and released a defence-splitting pass that led to Chelsea’s opener.

Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca, who previously worked with Palmer at Manchester City and is a compatriot of Zola, weighed in on the comparison, explaining why fans might see shades of the great Italian in the young Englishman.

Cole Palmer in action for Chelsea with manager Enzo Maresca watching from the sideline || Imago

“They are quite similar in terms of quality, in terms of seeing things that the rest don’t see,” Maresca said, adding, “In the end, the reason why people come to the stadium is to see a player like him.”

While Zola may have been a mystery to Palmer as a young fan, the Blues star is now the player keeping Chelsea’s faithful glued to their seats, and since joining Chelsea in the summer of 2023, he has become instrumental, scoring 22 league goals and setting up 11 more last season.