Palmer's England call-up is a proof he was right to ditch Manchester City for Chelsea

These are the times of big changes in Cole Palmer's life. The young footballer made a somewhat surprising decision to leave Manchester City and join Chelsea - and now he's been given a chance to represent his county at the highest level. To him, the two things are related.

Palmer, who was recently promoted from the U21s to the England senior squad, scored a late penalty against his former club Manchester City while playing for Chelsea in that thrilling 4-4 draw. He is now gearing up to impress Gareth Southgate in the Euro 2024 qualifiers against Malta and North Macedonia.

The 21-year-old talent expressed that his sudden rise to the England team has justified his big-bucks move from Etihad to Stamford Bridge. However, he admitted that his maiden senior call-up was not part of his contemplation when he agreed to switch clubs. Rather, it came as a result of him playing more regularly.

"I've always been grateful to Pep Guardiola for giving me the opportunity and platform to kick-start my career at Manchester City. Moving to Chelsea, my focus was primarily on getting more playing time and proving myself, not on making the England squad. Getting called up is a wonderful bonus."

Following his match against Manchester City, Palmer received the news about his England call-up, which came as a surprise to him.

"My phone was buzzing with messages from friends and family who are City fans. When it was confirmed, I immediately called my parents to share the news."

Despite his swift elevation from winning the Euros with the U21s to joining Chelsea and then receiving a senior England call-up, Palmer remains humble. He attributes much of his success to his father Jermaine, who has been influential in his football journey.

With England already securing their place at the Euros, Southgate will likely experiment with and introduce younger talents during the upcoming matches against Malta and North Macedonia. Palmer is enthusiastic about making an impact, aiming to create chances and score goals for the team.

England must win against Malta and North Macedonia even thou they are already qualified for EURO 2024

Regarding his move to Chelsea, Palmer deliberated on the tough decision he faced and the uncertainty he grappled with before making the move. He highlighted the competition at Manchester City and the desire for regular game time as the main factors influencing his choice. Moving from Manchester to a new city alone was a significant change for Palmer, but he feels settled and looks forward to continuing his development under the guidance of Chelsea's manager Mauricio Pochettino. He appreciates the confidence and freedom Pochettino has granted him on the field, allowing him to showcase his strengths in various positions.

"I'm excited to carry it on. He's given me the confidence and the license to go where I want on the pitch. To use my strengths, so I'm grateful for it. I like to play in all the positions to be fair. On the right, as a false nine, in the middle. Wherever he puts me, I'm happy to play there. It's a big step up from the youth team given the players that are here, but it's easier as we're trying to produce the same style throughout the age groups."

With a newly-found confidence, Palmer can be a valuable asset for Southgate, too.

EURO 2024 QUALIFIERS

Wednesday

Israel - Switzerland 1-1 (0-1)

/Weissman 88 - Vargas 36/

Thursday

Estonia - Austria 0-2 (0-2)

/Laimer 26, Lienhart 40/

Cyprus - Spain 1-3 (0-3)

/Pileas 75 - Yamal 5, Oyarzabal 22, Joselu 28/

Georgia - Scotland 2-2 (1-0)

/Kvaratskhelia 15, 56 - McTominay 49, Shankland 90+2/

Azerbaijan - Sweden 3-0 (2-0)

/Mahmudov 3, 89, Dadashov 6/

Bulgaria - Hungary 2-2 (1-1)

/Delev 24, Despodov 79 pen - Adam 10, Petkov 90+7 og/

Slovakia - Iceland 4-2 (2-1)

/Kucka 30, Duda 36 pen, Haraslin 47, 55 - Oskarsson 17, Gudjohnsen 74/

Montenegro - Lithuania 2-0 (1-0)

/Kuc 3, Jovetic 48/

Luxembourg - B&H 3-0 (2-0)

/Olesen 6, Rodrigues 30, Martins Pereira 56/

Liechtenstein - Portugal 0-2 (0-0)

/Ronaldo 47, Cancelo 57/

Friday

18:00: (1.03) Kazakhstan (18.0) San Marino (90.0)

20:00: (5.00) Moldova (3.50) Albania (1.85)

20:00: (1.95) Finland (3.50) N.Ireland (4.40)

22:45: (2.45) Poland (3.35) Czech R. (3.15)

22:45: (1.58) Denmark (4.00) Slovenia (7.00)

22:45: (1.13) Italy (10.5) Macedonia (22.0)

22:45: (1.01) England (28.0) Malta (95.0)

Saturday

17:00: (4.40) Armenia (3.50) Wales (1.95)

20:00: (1.57) Belarus (3.80) Andorra (8.00)

20:00: (22.0) Latvia (10.5) Croatia (1.13)

22:45: (1.33) Switzerland (5.40) Kosovo (11.0)

22:45: (1.15) Netherlands (9.50) R.Ireland (19.0)

22:45: (2.85) Israel (3.20) Romania (2.60)

22:45: (1.01) France (25.0) Gibraltar (70.0)

Sunday

20:00: (1.10) Sweden (11.0) Estonia (37.0)

22:45: (12.0) Liechtenstein (5.50) Luxembourg (1.32)

22:45: (2.40) B&H (3.40) Slovakia (3.20)

22:45: (2.10) Scotland (3.50) Norway (3.80)

***odds are subject to change***