England Team News: Cole Palmer rewarded for superb form with three-lions call up

While Cole Palmer impressed many during his time at Manchester City, few believed that the young English attacker was worth the nearly €50 million fee that Chelsea paid for him. However, nearly seven months later and the 21-year-old is now ranked as one of the signings of the season. The Englishman has played a key role in any success that the Blues’ have had, with Palmer the star of their season.

That is despite the fact that the Stamford Bridge side have endured a tough 2023/24 season so far and will likely miss out on a European football spot for next season. They currently sit in 11th position and are eight points behind sixth place Manchester United. It has many fans worried but things could be worse if not for Palmer, as he is their top scorer with 11 goals and 9 assists.

England Team News: Cole Palmer makes England squad for upcoming friendlies

That form has now been rewarded as Gareth Southgate has called up Palmer for England’s upcoming friendlies. The Three Lions play twice during the next international break with games against Brazil and Belgium, and many wondered who would make the cut. That is especially with the Euro 2024 taking place at the end of the season, which means that Southgate is moving closer to naming his squad for the tournament.

Also Read: UEFA Euro 2024: Teams who have qualified

However, Palmer has been rewarded for his performances so far with a place in this squad and he isn’t the only Chelsea player with Ben Chilwell and Connor Gallagher also a part of the squad. Not only that, Liverpool’s Joe Gomez, Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite and Aston Villa’s Ezri Konsa have also made the final cut. They’re joined by Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka, Harry Kane, Phil Foden, Ivan Toney, Harry Maguire and a few others.

For Palmer, though, this isn’t the first time he has been called up as he replaced James Maddison in November after the Tottenham midfielder suffered an injury. Not only that, Palmer did make his England debut during that international break, coming off the bench in a 2-0 win over Malta and earnt his second cap as well, a few days later, in a 1-1 draw over North Macedonia.

England Team News: 25-man squad for March international break

Goalkeepers: Jordan Pickford, Aaron Ramsdale, Sam Johnstone.

Defenders: Jarrad Branthwaite, Ben Chilwell, Lewis Dunk, Joe Gomez, Ezri Konsa, Harry Maguire, JohnStones, Kyle Walker.

Midfielders: Declan Rice, Jordan Henderson, Connor Gallagher, James Maddison, Jude Bellingham. 

Forwards: Bowen, Foden, Gordon, Kane, Palmer, Rashford, Saka, Toney, Watkins.