Cole Palmer has expressed his admiration for Mauricio Pochettino, revealing that “everyone loved” the manager at Chelsea and that he helped keep Palmer “relaxed” during his debut season.
Despite leading Chelsea to a sixth-place finish in the Premier League and dealing with numerous injuries to key players such as Reece James, Christopher Nkunku, and Ben Chilwell, the club decided to part ways with Pochettino.
This decision reportedly did not sit well with the Chelsea squad, as many players posted heartfelt tributes to the manager following his departure.
Palmer remains grateful to Pochettino for helping him reach his full potential.
After joining Chelsea from Manchester City last summer, Palmer scored 22 goals and provided 11 assists in 33 Premier League appearances, earning the Premier League’s Young Player of the Season award.
He is confident that Chelsea will continue to thrive in the upcoming season and credits the foundation of their potential success to Pochettino’s efforts.
In an interview with The Sun, Palmer said of his relationship with Pochettino: “When he first came he installed the foundations and made sure everyone knew what was required.
Then he started to teach us what he wanted to do. But first, we needed that base. As a man-manager, he would push you if you slack off.
He’s been really good for me. He kept me relaxed and we had a really good relationship.
He had a tough job, half the team has been injured — some very important players, too — so it’s been difficult for him. But everyone loved him. All the players did and he’s been very important for me as well.”
Chelsea have reportedly reached an agreement for Leicester City manager Enzo Maresca to succeed Mauricio Pochettino at Stamford Bridge.
This move sets the stage for a potential face-off next season, as Pochettino is being linked with a sensational move to Manchester United to replace Erik ten Hag.