Ex-Man City coach reveals Cole Palmer's best attribute

Martin Macdonald

• 20 Oct 2025 10:30 CDT
• 2 min read

News

Former Manchester City youth coach Brian Barry-Murphy has outlined some of the skills that made Cole Palmer special even as a youngster.

Palmer came through the ranks at City before completing a big-money switch to Premier League rivals Chelsea in 2023.

He has gone on to become one of the most effective attacking midfielders in the English top-flight and in 2024/25 he scored 18 goals and recorded 14 assists across all competitions for the Blues.

Barry-Murphy was tasked with preparing the slightly-built Palmer for the rigours of senior football but knew he had a player on his hands and highlighted one key attribute in a recent interview.

“Even before I’d arrived, I’d been told that the boy Palmer was very gifted,” the current Cardiff manager told Four Four Two.

“It was made clear that Cole was among the best young talents at the club and it was my job to assist his transition into senior football.

“In our first training sessions together, the thing that instantly set Cole apart from others was his movement. A lot of kids have incredible feet, they can shoot, they can pass – the technical aspects of the game. But the mental side, having that understanding of space, can be crucial. Cole would make very intelligent runs all the time. I was excited to be working with him.”

Palmer praised for versatility

Interestingly, Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has received some criticism this season for allegedly playing Palmer out of position, on occasion. With Estevao flourishing on the right-hand side, Palmer has sometimes been deployed in the middle, which he is comfortable with, or on the left, which he has found more difficult.

But Barry-Muprhy reckons Palmer's ability to play across those forward positions is a major asset.

“He was happy to play in any position you asked him to, with no complaints whatsoever,” the former City coach reveals.

“If you put him somewhere new, he wanted to master it. We had so many brilliant players in the academy, but Cole had moments of skill that could blow you away. He could turn a game on its head with a goal from anywhere. I was constantly in touch with Pep [Guardiola] about his performances.”

The FootballTransfers app

Check out FootballTransfers' new app for all of football's big storylines, transfer rumours and exclusive news in one convenient place directly on your mobile device.

The FootballTransfers app is available in the Apple App Store. Download here:

•App Store