IF you need a good dose of perspective on England’s progress in the Euros, listen to Cole Palmer.
When Chelsea’s main man was just 12, he flew to Brazil to see his grandfather, hoping to watch the Three Lions at the 2014 World Cup.
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However, there was a flaw in this plan.
Palmer arrived in Rio de Janeiro a week after the start of the tournament – and Roy Hodgson’s England had already been eliminated.
He said: “I went to Brazil for the World Cup. My grandfather Gary lives in Brazil.
“I didn’t watch any of the England games – when I got there they had already been eliminated.
“It was great, though. I went to watch Belgium x Russia at Maracanã.
“My grandfather lived in Rio. He has an apartment out there. He just moved there. He didn’t like the climate in Manchester, so he moved to Brazil. Now he speaks Portuguese fluently.”
A decade later, at least England topped their Euro group.
And, after a highly promising performance as a substitute in the goalless draw with Slovenia, there is a clamor for Palmer to start in tomorrow’s round of 16 clash against Slovakia.
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ENGLAND produced another dismal performance – but still managed to top Group C.
England dominated the ball but Southgate will have plenty of questions to answer after a third successive uninspired display.
SunSport’s Tom Barclay gave his assessments of the English players.
Jordan Pickford – 6
Largely a spectator due to England’s dominance on the ball. He asked the sideline what Denmark’s score was during a second-half break.
Kieran Trippier-6
The only good thing about having a right-handed player playing at left-back is that he can deliver crosses, and one of those should have been headed in by Conor Gallagher before half-time.
Marc Guehi-7
Cruyff’s early turn showed his confidence in excellent displays against Serbia and Denmark, and barring a dropped pass it was good again.
John’s Stones – 6
One of many who missed the target with his pass. It wasn’t bad but, like others, a far cry from what he produced for his club.
Kyle Walker – 5
He played very confidently, rarely trying to advance. At one point I was lucky that Pickford was aware of his return blast. Cruz cut after the break summed up his night off.
Conor Gallagher-4
He received the nod after the trial of midfielder Trent Alexander-Arnold ended, but had little possession of the ball, mainly, and was replaced at half-time by Kobbie Mainoo.
Declan Rice – 7
He had promised an “in-your-face” performance from his team, but he was actually the only one to produce it. Very good in terms of ball possession, much better than against Denmark.
Phil Foden-7
England’s liveliest forward four by a mile and went close with a free kick. Announced by dissent, summing up England’s frustration.
Jude Bellingham-5
He looked very frustrated as he and Harry Kane got in each other’s way at times, while he was often sent wide to the left when Phil Foden moved into the middle.
Bukayo Saka-6
He hit the target in the 20th minute, but it was disallowed for offside in the build-up. OK, but once again replaced after the break, perhaps due to physical problems.
Harry Kane – 6
He insists he is 100 percent fit and maybe he is. What is 100 percent certain is that he has not been as effective in this tournament as he normally is for England, although he has been a little better here.
Substitutes
Kobbie Mainoo (for Gallagher at half-time) – 7
He made a difference at the start, making England much more positive in their game. Much more confident with his touch than Gallagher.
Cole Palmer (for Bukayo Saka in ’71) – 7
He finally showed up in this tournament and a clever pass to Mainoo showed what he can do.
Trent Alexander-Arnold (for Kieran Trippier at 84) – 6
He entered the final minutes at right-back, with Walker moving to left-back.
Anthony Gordon (for Phil Foden in 88) – 6
Like Palmer, first few minutes at Euros, but too late to make an impact.
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Palmer, 22, was one of the big stories of the season – a young man with the courage to leave Manchester City because Pep Guardiola failed to guarantee him enough game time.
He then lit up Stamford Bridge, scoring 25 goals for his new club and taking Chelsea to such a point that Mauricio Pochettino demanded the rest of his team prove they were “not Cole Palmer FC”.
Without meaning to, Palmer is a brilliant interviewee.
He acts like he doesn’t understand why all these middle-aged guys are gathered around him asking questions. But he talks the game – off the cuff and straight to the point.
He is also surprisingly honest. Let’s see his reaction to Pochettino’s departure – “we built a great relationship. . . I was devastated when he left.”
Or, when asked if he feels ready to play for England in this tournament: “Personally I think so, but it’s not up to me. It’s nice to see people on social media saying I should start, but it’s not up to them, is it?”
And on his move south: “People in London are grumpy, aren’t they? I like London, but it’s very different.”
He was also asked about a claim by Chelsea goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic that he likes baked beans so much that he is nicknamed Beans.
Palmer replied: “No, nobody calls me Beans”, who then adds that fellow Mancunian Kobbie Mainoo, 19, “has beetroot for everything, he has beetroot for breakfast, dinner and tea”.
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Asked if he started out as a striker, Palmer provoked laughter when he admitted he first played at left-back, England’s problematic position in this tournament.
“I didn’t say I’d play there now,” he quickly interjects, “That was just for the U10s – I haven’t played at left-back since.”
Despite his long association with City, Palmer grew up a Manchester United fan who idolized Wayne Rooney.
Palmer says, “If my mom said, ‘Do it, Rooney does it,’ I would do it.”
It’s refreshing to hear a player who speaks so naturally.
Talking to Palmer makes you believe he should start for England.
After two frustrating draws against Denmark and Slovenia, Gareth Southgate needs a player who doesn’t shy away from anything.
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A player who stood out in his first season as a regular starter in the Premier League.
There is just one question Palmer refuses to answer: whether Guardiola tried to persuade him to stay at City. He shrugs, smiles, pauses and says, “Next question.”
But Palmer couldn’t be more excited about Pochettino, saying: “He’s probably the main reason I’m here, because a different manager might not have given me the freedom and the opportunity to do what I did at Chelsea.”
However, Poch’s successor, Enzo Maresca, is also a familiar face to Palmer – having coached him for City’s Under-21s and also been an assistant to Guardiola in the first team.
Maresca, in fact, was the first coach to play Palmer in the right-back position.
Even if he doesn’t start, there’s every chance he could feature in the penalty shootout in the round of 16 and the fact he scored all nine of Chelsea’s penalties, as well as one for England.
Palmer and fellow penalty specialist Ivan Toney have been discussing the possibility of going cold in the final minute of extra time to take a penalty in the shootout.
He admitted: “I was talking about this the other day with Ivan. Yes, I would go and get one.”
You would be very surprised if he lost.
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