Cole Palmer: Swerving kicks, enthralling dribbles, jaw-dropping ball control, does this remind you of someone? One might think of Riyad Mahrez but these traits are also the benchmark of Cole Jermaine Palmer’s game, also known as ‘CJ.’ Manchester City has had a very good record of turning younglings into footballing goliaths and Cole Palmer is no exception to this.
In this article, we will be covering highlights of Cole Palmer outside the 90 minutes as we delve into his biography. We will also shed light on intriguing aspects of his life such as his family, love life, religion, personality, and so on.
Family
He is the youngest child born to Jermaine and Janet Palmer. He has two siblings, an older brother, and a sister. He shares more resemblance with his mother as opposed to his siblings who seem to have inherited more phenotypic features from their pops.
What’s interesting to note is that his dad was also a professional football player but never made it big. However, his dream is being materialized by his son who already has a Champions League medal to his name. CJ’s dad made a good decision by picking CAA Base Ltd, a sports agency for him. All the decisions they’ve made have worked in his favor.
Ethnicity
CJ is half-British and half-Kittian as his father is a native of Saint Kitts and Nevis. This also allowed him to represent the Caribbean Island but he stuck with the Three Lions instead.
Religion
Though he hasn’t made any public displays of his faith, he is still believed to be an adherent of Christianity.
Marital Status
He is currently single and unmarried. Data on his past relationships and dating history are also unavailable. He prefers to commit his undivided attention only to football as of late.
Childhood
CJ bloomed into existence on the 6th of May in 2002 in Wythenshawe, a suburb in the city of Manchester. His childhood days were filled to the brim with football-centered activities and hobbies. The local park is where he and his dad would take refuge as a second home.
“He’d only let me shoot as a sort of ‘present’ at the end of practicing with him. I was only little at the time.”
Around the age of 6, he joined a local football school close to his house called ‘NJ Wythenshawe.’ There, he was noticed by a well-known football coach in the town, Graeme Fowler. In an interview with Manchester Evening News, Graeme had the following to say:
“I walked into the field and saw this little blonde kid who was only dead small and just running with the ball. At that age, the kids just chase the ball, and he had 10 kids chasing him. He was running with it and would just do a simple turn and go the other way, and the kids would then follow him the other way. They couldn’t get the ball off him, wherever he turned, and he was a year younger than them all.”
His incredible dribbling skills and satiable maneuvering of the ball caught the attention of the two behemoths of Manchester, United and City. Both clubs had gone to a transfer battle for the eight-year-old but his father chose City for him as they had better training facilities and youth programs.
The Undulating Road
Shortly after joining Manchester City’s under-8 ranks, he started competing with kids slightly older than him, yet he had all of them chasing him around the pitch. However, what hindered his progress in the youth ranks was his lanky physique and short height. His stunted growth and poor physical resistance nearly led to his release from the academy. A revamped nutrition plan, coupled with physical therapy, provided CJ — now standing at 6’2 — with the right tools to ensure healthy growth and development.
His gradual physical development allowed him to advance further and he was always the player to watch whenever he got on the pitch. He captained Man City’s under-18 side to a League and Cup triumph. During the same period, he was making headlines for England’s under-21 team.
Getting Pinned on the Map
His outstanding performance in Manchester City’s academy earned him a call-up to the first team by Pep Guardiola. He utilized their training facilities, practiced with senior players, and was eventually promoted permanently. CJ made his debut for the Sky Blues in the EFL Cup, scoring his first goal just a few weeks later. For a solid two-year period from 2021 to 2023, he served as both a rotational player and super-sub.
His crowning achievement came on June 10, 2023, as he secured a Champions League Medal. Despite not playing a major role in City’s conquest of Europe, the euphoria lingered. With Riyad Mahrez’s departure, it seemed there was finally space for him in the starting XI, a notion he validated by launching a spectacular curler into the top bins against Arsenal in the FA Community Shield. He once again rescued the team with a header in the UEFA Super Cup Final against Sevilla. However, despite these contributions, CJ still found himself stuck in a rotational role and opted to seek new opportunities elsewhere. A new chapter unfolded as Chelsea signed him for €40 million.
Lifestyle and Personality
Despite being an introvert, CJ still makes the most of his time with his limited band of companions, he describes himself in the following quotation:
“I’m very chilled out, really. I just hang out, see my mates, play PlayStation…that sort of thing,”
Outside the pitch, he is an avid gamer. He’s often seen playing with his teammates and other professional football players but the one that caught the most eyeballs was him playing a game of Call of Duty with the Brazilian icon, Ronaldo Nazario.
Along with other likes and dislikes comes his deep-rooted love for cars. Given his incredible rise to stardom, it’s safe to say that a good car collection isn’t destined for a far future for the winger.
Some Fun Facts about Cole Palmer
- He is from the same town in Manchester as Marcus Rashford and boxer Tyson Fury
- He likes Rap Music
- He scored his first UCL goal at 19 years of age
