COLE Palmer has admitted he is surprised by how quickly he settled at Chelsea as he prepares for a return to his former club Manchester City on Saturday.
Eyebrows were raised last summer when the Blues paid City £40million for 21-year-old Palmer, who had only made three Premier League starts for Pep Guardiola’s side.
But Palmer has enjoyed a superb season so far, registering 10 goals and six assists in 20 league games.
One of those goals was a last-minute penalty to earn Mauricio Pochettino’s side a 4-4 draw against City at Stamford Bridge last November.
“I have been surprised by how well it’s gone here so quickly, but I always back myself to succeed,” Palmer said on Chelsea’s website.
“When I made the decision to come down here with my family it was a really tough decision to leave, but I felt like I was ready to play week-in, week-out and showcase my ability. So thank you to the club and everyone who has supported me.”
Palmer is full of praise for Pochettino, who has led Chelsea to the EFL Cup final where they will play Liverpool next weekend.
Palmer said: “It’s down to the manager giving me the freedom, the club giving me the opportunity and the lads, who have been great with me since I came in. I’ve settled fast so I’m enjoying it here.
“The manager helps us all every day. Little conversations telling us what to do. He supports us massively, so credit to the manager for getting us together.
“He’s been amazing from my first day. From when I first came in he put his arm around me and gave me the freedom and the confidence to go out there and play well.
“We have meetings and he believes in us and we believe in ourselves. Everyone’s going to talk when you’re not doing well, but we just need to try and block it out and focus on ourselves.”
Palmer returns to his home city to face a side going for a fourth consecutive Premier League title.
He said: “It will be a tough game but I’m looking forward to going back to the Etihad. It will be strange, a weird feeling, but I’m looking forward to it and the team’s looking forward to it.”
