COP THAT
Chelsea sensation Cole Palmer will ‘need a police escort’ if he ever visits St Kitts and Nevis says father Jermaine
Scroll down to see why Pep Guardiola says he sold him
COLE PALMER will “need a police escort” if he ever visits St Kitts and Nevis, claims the Chelsea star’s father.
The 21-year-old came through the ranks at boyhood club Manchester City but left to join the Blues for £42.5million last summer.
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Since then he has been a sensation as his four goal haul against Everton on Monday, despite a penalty furore, moved him level with Erling Haaland in the chase for the Premier League golden boot.
His exploits at Stamford Bridge have also led to him making the breakthrough into Gareth Southgate’s England squad ahead of this summer’s European Championship.
However, despite growing up in Wythenshawe in South Manchester, his family ties go back to the Caribbean.
Palmer’s grandfather, Sterry Cole, left St. Kitts and Nevis in 1960 for a new life in England.
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Now the in-form star’s father and Sterry’s son, Jermaine, has revealed how his boy’s popularity is not only soaring in West London, but on the Caribbean island too.
He told : “I went over for the first time in January and it was great.
“Speaking to my dad’s cousins who are still over there they said the island is going crazy about Cole.
“So when he does go himself he’s probably going to need a police escort! They’re all Chelsea fans over there now!”
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Palmer pays tribute to his family heritage on his boots, which have both the flag of St. Kitts and Nevis alongside the England flag.
And he will be looking to further bolster his popularity and impressive statistics at Wembley this afternoon.
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Chelsea take on his former club Man City in the FA Cup semi-final.
His ex-boss Pep Guardiola has admitted that Palmer has been the “decisive player of the season” after being forced to sell him to Chelsea.
But he also says that the player asked to leave the Etihad for TWO YEARS before he finally got his wish.
Guardiola confessed: “He said he wanted to leave. What could we do? He was asking for two seasons to leave and I said, ‘No, stay’.
“I also said in pre-season he should stay because Riyad Mahrez had gone, but he said, ‘No, I want to leave’. So after two seasons what could I say?
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“Playing at his current level is exceptional. He is an incredible threat. Everyone knows it.
“We’ve seen how strong Chelsea are, the weapons they have up front, and Cole is the decisive player of the season.”
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Guardiola added: “I didn’t give him the minutes that he deserved. He wanted minutes that now he has at Chelsea. I understand completely.
“I am happy for him because he’s a lovely guy and an exceptional player.”
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