Cole Palmer had Chelsea fans in stitches after he revealed his knowledge of a club legend extended only as far as a video game.
Palmer delivered a man-of-the-match performance with a goal and a perfect pass to set up the second in Chelsea‘s 2-1 victory over Newcastle at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.
Blues great Gianfranco Zola, who scored 80 goals across over 300 appearances for the club, was in the stands to watch Palmer weave his magic.
Given Zola’s remarkable ability with the ball at his feet and eye for a perfect pass, Palmer was asked about comparisons to the Italian after the game.
But the England international’s hilarious response gave fans an interesting glimpse into how much, rather how little, he knows about the club’s history.
“I know Gianfranco Zola is an icon on FIFA so he must have been good,” Palmer told Sky Sports.
“To be honest, I didn’t really watch him play. Everyone says he was a great player, so thank you [for the comparison].
In fairness to Palmer, he was born just months before Zola’s final season at Stamford Bridge, which was the 2002/03 campaign.
But it didn’t stop fans from poking fun at Palmer’s comment.
One supporter said: “At least he’s not lying lol.”
Another posted: “This can’t be real,” along with three laughing emojis.
One fan added: “Knowing him as an icon on FIFA is crazy.”
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Palmer has actually become acquainted with Zola, who presented the player with his PFA Young Player of the Year award back in August.
Although Palmer may not know a lot about Zola’s career, the Italian is well aware of the youngster’s greatness.
Speaking before the game, Zola lavished praise on the ‘very special’ Chelsea star.
“When he receives the ball he already knows what he wants to do next,” Zola said.
“It’s a quality only a few players have.”
Palmer’s strike against Newcastle took his attacking contributions to seven goals and five assists from nine games this season.
With such a bright start, there’s little wonder why some Chelsea fans are already hoping he can replicate the dazzling form he showed last season as Palmer scored 22 league goals and registered 11 assists.
But the 22-year-old wants to keep a lid on things as he reminded supporters he’s ‘very, very young’.
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“I always try to enjoy my football game by game,” Palmer told Sky Sports.
“Many people on the outside try to put pressure on me to replicate what I did last season in terms of numbers.
“It is my second season playing football and I am still very, very young.”
