AFCON 2025
Cole Palmer has been crowned England men’s player of the year for 2023-24, as voted by the public.
The Chelsea forward edged out Jude Bellingham and Bukayo Saka, who finished second and third respectively.
Palmer’s rise to prominence has been swift. He made his England debut just last November in a 2-0 win against Malta at Wembley. Since then, he has represented the Three Lions nine times, starting two games, with five appearances coming at Euro 2024.
One of the highlights of Palmer’s young international career was scoring in the Euro 2024 final against Spain, despite England’s 2-1 loss.
This recognition follows Palmer’s PFA Young Player of the Year award in August, capping off an impressive debut season at Chelsea. After joining the Blues from Manchester City last summer, Palmer scored 25 goals in all competitions.
With two goals for England under his belt, the 22-year-old is expected to feature in the upcoming Nations League fixtures against Greece on Thursday and Finland on Sunday.
Palmer is the first Chelsea player to receive this award since Ashley Cole in 2010. Frank Lampard also won the honor during his time at the Blues.
Other past winners include Harry Kane, Wayne Rooney, and David Beckham. Arsenal’s Saka had taken home the award for the previous two seasons.
