Cole Palmer makes Gary Neville look foolish as 'mad' comment comes back to haunt Sky Sports pundit

Gary Neville was forced to admit he got it wrong about Cole Palmer, questioning his move to Chelsea before he blossomed into a world-class star.

Struggling to nail down a first-team spot at Manchester City after coming through the ranks, Palmer left for Chelsea in 2023 after winning the treble - joining for a fee of £40 million.

Palmer had demonstrated his talents on occasion at City but was still something of an unknown quantity when he moved to Stamford Bridge and Manchester United legend Neville felt that the signing was another example of the club's unusual transfer policy under Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital.

Speaking on his Sky Sports podcast in September 2023, Neville said: "It's just a little bit mad, isn't it? It's chaotic. We've said it for 15 months with the amount of players they have signed. I saw Palmer come on today who they bought for £40 million from City and you think, 'there's another one'."

Gary Neville did not expect Cole Palmer to reach the heights he has. Image: Getty

However, fast forward to the present day and Neville could not have been more wrong. Now a fully-fledged England international, Palmer dragged Chelsea to a Conference League and Club World Cup double with two incredible performances in consecutive finals.

He registered two assists against Real Betis in Wroclaw where Chelsea came from behind to win 4-1, while he scored twice in an incredible display to blitz European champions Paris-Saint Germain 3-0 and be crowned the best team in the world in New Jersey on Sunday.

Palmer's importance to Chelsea cannot be overstated and they moved to tie him down until 2033 as well as handing him the No.10 shirt this summer.

Cole Palmer received the Adidas golden ball for his stunning display against PSG. Image: Getty

The 23-year-old has scored 43 goals and registered 29 assists in 97 games for Chelsea and in December, Neville changed his tune on Palmer and raved about his abilities with the ball at his feet as he expressed surprise at how complete he has become.

“Exceptional talent, beautiful to watch," Neville said.

£40 million. I think at the time I didn’t question him coming to Chelsea; I questioned them signing another wide player. They’d signed Mudryk and all those players, Madueke, and you’re thinking how many more do they need to sign of this type? What he’s gone on to become, no one could ever have expected, and I certainly didn’t; he’s exceptional. To get that level of precision and class and the final pass, the right touch in someone whose only really two years in doing this is amazing!”