Enzo Maresca has given his thoughts on man of the moment Cole Palmer in a recent interview and described the England international as “like a kid.”
Palmer has been nothing short of a revelation since he arrived from Manchester City in the summer of 2023 in a deal worth £42m.
The 22-year-old has taken the Premier League by storm and was named Young Player of the Year in his first season at Chelsea after scoring 22 goals and providing 11 assists.
Maresca: Palmer like a kid
Palmer has picked up where he left off last season and has six goals and five assists in seven games, with the England international recently named Premier League Player of the Month for September.
The former City man is among the nominees for the Ballon d’Or and Paul Winstanley believes Palmer has what it takes to be a future winner of the coveted prize.
Palmer’s form has seen him become a regular in the England set-up since making his debut last November, but Danny Murphy believes he will be disappointed with his recent performances against Greece and Finland.
Maresca knows Palmer well having worked with him at City with the pair winning the Premier League 2 title together.
The Italian has recently been speaking about Palmer and likened him to a kid because of the way he always wants the ball.
“The best thing he has is that these kinds of awards are not going to change him and he is always the same guy: humble. He enjoys football like a kid. This is the best thing for him,” he told Chelsea’s website.
“You can see how much he enjoys his football. He is like a kid, he always wants the ball, to play and to enjoy. He is so happy.
“You can see in sessions; he is always one of the first around the ball and wants the ball. It is the main point.”
Chelsea will certainly be hoping Palmer is at his best for Sunday’s game against Liverpool as the Blues face their toughest test of the season to date, and are currently winless in their last nine meetings against the Reds.