May 8th 2024.
Chelsea's newest addition, Cole Palmer, was the star of the show at the club's end-of-season ceremony. It came as no surprise when he was announced as the Men's Player of the Year and the Men's Players' Player of the Year last night. The 22-year-old has been a standout performer since joining Chelsea from Manchester City, making him the most deserving winner of the Player of the Year award in the club's history. Last season's winner, Thiago Silva, handed over the prestigious prize to Palmer.
There were some raised eyebrows when Chelsea splurged £42.5million on Palmer last summer, as he had only made 19 appearances in the Premier League under Pep Guardiola at that point. However, Palmer has silenced all his critics with an exceptional debut season. He has scored an impressive 24 goals and provided 13 assists, despite the team's overall disappointing campaign.
Palmer, who made his debut for England in November, will be looking to add to his remarkable tally in Chelsea's remaining three games against Nottingham Forest, Brighton, and Bournemouth. While the pain of losing in both the Carabao Cup and FA Cup finals may still linger, it was clear to see the joy on Palmer's face as he collected his awards at Stamford Bridge.
When asked about his aspirations for Euro 2024 after receiving the Player of the Year award, Palmer humbly replied, "Hopefully, I can get picked and go to the tournament and show what I can do. But right now, I'm focusing on the last few games of the season."
The end-of-season awards also saw some other deserving winners, including PFA Community Champions Conor Gallagher and Zecira Musovic, Women's Academy Player of the Year Katie Cox, and Men's Academy Player of the Year Alfie Gilchrist. Zecira Musovic also won the AllBright Award, while Jess Carter was named Women's Players' Player of the Year and Lauren James as Women's Player of the Year.
It's safe to say that Palmer's name was on everyone's lips at the ceremony. With 24 goals in 42 matches this season, he was undoubtedly the clear favorite for both the Men's Player of the Year and the Players' Player of the Year awards. And even though he couldn't vote for himself, Palmer revealed that he chose Malo Gusto as his pick for Chelsea's Players' Player of the Year.
"It's been a dream season for me, my debut season, so I want to thank the manager, the staff, the players, and of course, the fans," Palmer said in an interview with the club's social media team. "I came here to play, to showcase my abilities and talent to the fans, and it's been amazing – even better than I imagined. I'm buzzing."
When asked about his vote for the Players' Player of the Year, Palmer revealed, "I voted for Malo Gusto. I love playing with him on the right, and he's been amazing this season whenever he's played, so that's why I chose him."
Gusto, who was signed from Lyon in January 2023 and immediately loaned back to the French club, made his Chelsea debut in August. He has been impressive in the absence of Reece James this season, making 33 appearances in all competitions. In October, he made his senior debut for France and will be hoping to secure a spot in the squad for this summer's European Championships in Germany.
It was a night to remember for all the award winners at Chelsea's end-of-season ceremony, and the club's fans can't wait to see what Palmer and Gusto will achieve in the future. Sign up for more Chelsea news, exclusives, and analysis to stay updated on all the latest developments at the club.
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