Palmer was a key part Maresca’s Manchester City Elite Development Squad when they helped the club lift their first Premier League 2 title back in 2021 and after a spell in charge of Parma, the Italian returned to the Etihad as one of Pep Guardiola’s first team assistants.

The pair were part of a City side that won the treble during the 2022/23 campaign and after another season apart, where Maresca guided Leicester City to the Championship title and Palmer established himself as one of the most exciting talents in world football, they have been reunited for a third time at Stamford Bridge.

They have continued in the same vein this season and in September won the Premier League’s Manager and Player of the Month awards, as the duo helped the Blues move into the Champions League positions and within four points of top spot.

‘He is winning so many trophies in this moment so this is one more!’ Maresca responded when asked about Palmer winning the Premier League Player of the Month award for September.

‘The best thing he has is that these kinds of awards are not going to change him and he is always the same guy: humble. He enjoys football like a kid. This is the best thing for him.’

Maresca continued: ‘You can see how much he enjoys his football. He is like a kid, he always wants the ball, to play and to enjoy. He is so happy.

‘You can see in sessions; he is always one of the first around the ball and wants the ball. It is the main point.’

In the first game of this season, against former club Manchester City, Palmer started on the right flank but for much of the campaign so far, the 22-year-old has been used centrally in a role described as ‘in the pocket’ or ‘an advanced No.8’.

It has meant Palmer has impacted matches in different ways. At times, he has dropped deeper and pulled wide right into his own half to collect the ball and start attacks. While on other occasions, he has been able to run in behind defensive lines to good effect, whilst also still offering the same attacking and creative threat in the final third which saw him score 27 goals and record 15 assists in all competitions last season.

Palmer already has six goals and five assists to his name this campaign and there have only been seven games so far.

When asked about Palmer’s tactical role in the team, Maresca explained: ‘He can play in different positions for us because he is so good on the ball. He can play wide, in the middle, as a nine. We try to use him in one position at the moment in the middle of the pitch but it depends a little bit on the game plan we have and sometimes we move him wide a little bit like he did many times against Brighton.

‘We try to give him the opportunity to enjoy his football because, with him, that is the main thing.’

Maresca already had good relationships in place with the likes of Palmer, Romeo Lavia, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Cesare Casadei when he arrived at Chelsea, after working with them at Manchester City and Leicester City respectively.

And it appears he has started building positive relationships with many more of the squad during his first three months in charge of Chelsea.

Maresca explained: ‘For me, the relationships are very important because you need those relationships with the players. Sometimes you need to be a little bit stronger or a bit more soft; it depends on the moment.

‘But it is important they feel the people around them are very close, especially the head coach, and that is the way I like it.’

You can hear more from our interview with Maresca on the official Chelsea website and app tomorrow.