Few knew what to expect when Palmer arrived at Stamford Bridge in September 2022. Yes, he had featured for Manchester City and scored a couple of high-profile goals for the club, but his body of work in the senior game was limited.

What followed was one of the most remarkable campaigns in Premier League history. Palmer went from relative unknown to decisive match-winner at Chelsea. He struck 22 times, registered 11 assists, and collected a series of individual awards.

He then went on to impress for England at the European Championship, becoming only the second player to score for the Three Lions in the tournament's final.

What made it all the more impressive was how Palmer handled the pressure on his shoulders, a trait which has been maintained this season. The 22-year-old is now a marked man and opposition sides have tailored game plans to nullify his talents.

Palmer has also received his fair share of robust attention from opposition defenders, but that is something he shrugs off with his trademark nonchalance.

‘I just try to prepare myself because I know it’s going to come, so I need to be ready for it,’ explains Palmer. ‘I’m not bothered to be fair, as long as I don’t get injured I don’t mind.’

Off the pitch, Cole has adapted well to his newfound celebrity. Yet he admits to taking the anonymity he previously enjoyed for granted – and does miss the opportunity to kick a ball around with friends for sheer enjoyment.

‘My life has changed massively,' he says. 'I can’t really go to certain places when I just want to chill. Like when you just go to the shop around the corner, you’ll think someone’s watching you.

‘Being able to play five-a-side is the thing I miss most, though, just being able to go and play five-a-side with your mates.’

The skills Palmer first learned with his father and then honed on those five-a-side pitches – along with his time in the Man City academy – have served him well throughout his time at Stamford Bridge.

He possesses a rare imagination in the modern game and couples that with an unshakeable composure. It's why Palmer rarely appears phased by anything that happens during a game, be that riding heavy tackles, fashioning chances for team-mates, or stepping up to take a decisive penalty.

However, despite appearances, Cole is still like the rest of us. ‘Obviously, I feel nerves, I am human you know!' he says with a smile.

‘I don’t really feel it when I’m on the pitch, though. Maybe before the game I do a little but when the game starts I don’t. It’s like anything. You might feel nervous about something but when you start doing it you realise it’s actually not that bad.

‘But I don’t really feel nervous much off the pitch, it’s just in some moments I might get nervous.’

It wasn't long before Palmer's composure on the pitch earned him the nickname ‘Cold Palmer' with his Blues team-mates, and it was soon married with his now-iconic shivering goal celebration.

That has also provided one of the trappings of fame Cole has enjoyed, as he has witnessed the influence it has had on young footballers starting out in the game.

‘It is a good feeling when I see it, especially when I see random kids in random places doing it after scoring in grassroots football or something like that,’ he adds. 'That’s nice – and it does feel like that was me not too long ago!’