Cole Palmer revealed that he attempted to watch England during the World Cup following his exclusion from the 26-man squad, but ended up falling asleep by halftime during the match against Mexico.
At 24, Palmer was one of the most surprising omissions made by Thomas Tuchel for the tournament held in North America.
This reality provided the Chelsea playmaker with a much-needed break after a challenging season marred by injuries, allowing him to support his team while enjoying a holiday.
“I was away, and the time difference in America was a bit crazy,” Palmer said while on Chelsea’s preseason tour in Australia. “It was tricky, but I did catch some of the games.”
Unfortunately, Palmer dozed off during what turned out to be England’s most thrilling victory of the tournament, a dramatic 3-2 round-of-16 win against Mexico at the Estadio Azteca, which kicked off at 2 a.m. GMT due to delays caused by storms.
After witnessing his first World Cup from the sidelines, Palmer mentioned that this experience will fuel his determination for the upcoming season.
“Naturally, if someone implies you’re not good enough for the squad, it’s going to motivate you to work harder,” he added.
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Ultimately, England was eliminated in the semifinals by Argentina.
Now, Palmer is gearing up for the new season under Xabi Alonso at Chelsea, with their next friendly against Tottenham set for Saturday.