Cole Jermaine Palmer was born on May 6th, 2002, in Wythenshawe, Manchester.
A precociously talented footballer from a very young age he exceled at Manchester City’s academy as he progressed through the levels. Aged 10 he so impressed during a tournament in Germany that City still use clips of his displays today when entertaining parents of would-be recruits.
| Per year | €4,579,949.40 | £3,899,927 |
| Per month | €381,662 | £324,993 |
| Per week | €88,075 | £74,997 |
| Per day | €12,547 | £10,684 |
| Per hour | €522 | £444 |
| Per minute | €8 | £6 |
Years later he captained the under-18s as they strolled to a league title.
Yet remarkably, prior to that, City came extremely close to releasing their local superstar-in-the-making, fearful that he was too slight in physique to make it as a pro. The intervention of the club’s academy director and a late growth spurt ensured that fate continued down the right path.
That fate first implanted Palmer into the Manchester City first XI as a teenager then took him to Stamford Bridge, in a deal worth £42.5m.
It has also seen him make inroads on the international scene, selected for Gareth Southgate’s last two squads, and what’s the betting he will be a regular for the Three Lions in years to come.
Outright Winner - England
The story is just beginning for this naturally gifted midfielder but even at chapter one a couple of things are plainly evident.
The first is that Palmer has the world at his feet. The second is that by the time he’s done he will be an enormously wealthy individual.
How Much Is Cole Palmer Worth?
Still only 22 years of age, Palmer’s net worth is estimated to be £4.3m, a figure that is surely set to rise exponentially in seasons to come.
Presently there are plenty of players in the Premier League who have half his ability, but twice his wealth.
Even so, being a millionaire several times over reflects where the youngster is right now on his career arc, acclaimed as one of the brightest talents around and with one sensational campaign for Chelsea in the bank.
In 2020, breaking through at City, Palmer’s salary was capped at £2,400 a week. That more than doubled twelve months later before soaring to £27,000 a week in 2022 with the midfielder by then an established member of the Blues’ squad.
His transfer to Chelsea in September 2023 netted the player £75,000 a week, along with a chunky signing-on fee. There are additionally all manner of lucrative bonuses to account for, including for Man of the Match awards. Palmer triggered that one five times in 2023/24.
Away from the pitch, there are too all manner of commercial interests, as companies clamour to be associated with England’s ‘next big thing’.
To Palmer’s credit, two of the most high-profile collaborations to date have charitable intentions, with the player fronting an initiative launched by Cif to restore pre-loved football boots for under-privileged kids.
Earlier this year meanwhile, Palmer starred in an advert financed by Three to encourage men to talk about their mental health.
A deal with Nike to promote their boots and clothing range will have harvested the England star a small fortune.
Family Life
Palmer’s grandfather, Sterry, arrived in England from St Kitts in 1960 and for this reason the Chelsea ace has the flag of the Caribbean island on his boots along with a St George’s cross.
Sterry however was a cricket obsessive. It was the player’s father, Jermaine, who would take him across the road to Hollyhedge Park to ping up thousands of balls for his young son to control, developing a touch that is swiftly taking him to the very top of the game.
His proud mother Marie meanwhile attends every match. In addition, Palmer has two half-sisters and a sister named Haillie.
Club Career
Palmer’s professional debut came in the League Cup, with Manchester City easily dismissing Burnley in September 2020. A year later heralded his first goal, again in the League Cup, then a matter of weeks after that a Champions League goal arrived, away at Brugge.
When he netted on his FA Cup debut that January he was asked about the league. “Prem soon come,” he replied, prompting many to delight in his distinctly Mancunian turn of phrase. Here was a local lad made very good, holding his own among a plethora of expensive household names.
City were favourites in the football betting across every competition that season and by the campaign’s end they had duly secured a famous treble. It meant that Palmer, still inexperienced and making his way in the game, was a league, cup and Champions League winner.
The following season saw the midfielder score in the UEFA Super Cup but by now rumours were rife that the 22-year-old was unhappy with the amount of game-time he was getting, desperate as he was to justify the huge hype that surrounded him.
Even so, his move to Chelsea last autumn came out of the blue, a shock to everyone.
With the club embarking on a wild spending spree that window Mauricio Pochettino’s side initially struggled, and perhaps Palmer may have wondered at times if he’d made the right career choice in moving down south.
But then, in early October, it all began, a quite ridiculous and sustained run of games that showed the player off at his brilliant best.
On numerous occasions, he was by some distance Chelsea’s most impactful performer, a fact not lost on England manager Gareth Southgate who called him up for a brace of international friendlies in March.
By the season’s end Palmer won the Young Player of the Year award at a canter, while racking up 15 assists across all competitions. He finished second only to Erling Haaland in the goal-scoring chart, firing 22 in the Premier League alone.
The boy from Wythenshawe had justified the hype.
*Credit for the main photo belongs to Alamy*
