Chelsea ace Cole Palmer says he wants to emulate Lionel Messi and former Manchester United star as he tips hat to idols

Chelsea attacker Cole Palmer expressed his wish to emulate Lionel Messi and former Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney. The England international has been with the Blues since arriving from Manchester City in the summer of 2023.

In 92 appearances across competitions, the 23-year-old has bagged 40 goals and 27 assists. He registered 15 strikes and 12 assists in 47 outings across competitions, including three assists in six games in the Blues' successful UEFA Europa Conference League campaign.

Ahead of the ongoing FIFA Club World Cup in the United States, Palmer changed from the No. 20 to No. 10, which is also worn by his idol Messi. He talked about the No. 10s he had idolised growing up (as per ESPN):

"Messi, the big one, Rooney and players like that. It's just an iconic number. I wore No. 10 all my life growing up and I just like the number."

Palmer has taken the No. 10 from his teammate Mykhaylo Mudryk, who faces up to four years suspension due to an alleged doping violation. About the Ukrainian, who hasn't played since November, Palmer said:

"I have not spoken to Misha yet but I will when the time is right. It is not really my place to get involved with him at the minute. I will speak to him."

Palmer, who had two assists in the Blues' Conference League final win over Real Betis, is set to feature in their Club World Cup opener against Brazilian side Flamengo at Lincoln Memorial Field in Pennsylvania on Friday (June 20).

Meanwhile, Messi's Inter Miami are also featuring in the tournament, with the Argentine scoring in the 2-1 win over FC Porto on Thursday in Atlanta.

How has Lionel Messi fared against Chelsea?

Lionel Messi is one of the best players to have graced the beautiful game, with 866 strikes for club and country. That includes three goals (and as many assists) in 10 games against Chelsea.

All of the goal contributions have come in the UEFA Champions League, with Messi emerging victorious twice and losing as many times, while Messi was with Barcelona.

Messi's last meeting with Chelsea was in the 2017-18 Round of 16, with the Argentine scoring in each leg, registering three goals and an assist in Barca's 4-1 aggregate win following a 1-1 first-leg draw on the road.

About the author

Bhargav is a veteran sports journalist and editor at Sportskeeda, with a rich professional experience of 17 years, working for the likes of Siemens and Bombay Dyeing. An avid football and tennis follower for over three decades, Bhargav uses his vast knowledge and experience, attention to detail, an unbiased yet interesting writing style, and thorough research to craft insightful articles, which have raked in over 20 million reads so far.

Bhargav supports Italy at national level, a team steeped in tradition and history according to him. He still harbors the heartbreak from the Azzurri’s 1994 FIFA World Cup final defeat against Brazil, and protagonist-turned-antagonist from the game, ‘Divine Ponytail’ Roberto Baggio is his all-time favorite player. His favorite manager is Marcelo Lippi, who ended Italy’s 24-year wait for the World Cup trophy, winning it in 2006.

Outside Europe’s top five leagues, he follows the MLS following Lionel Messi’s move in 2023 but favors Cristiano Ronaldo in the G.O.A.T. debate. During his free time, Bhargav enjoys driving off to new places and singing.

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Edited by Bhargav