Chelsea legend Gianfranco Zola explains what makes Cole Palmer, Estevao key to ‘promising’ club future

Zola made 229 appearances for The Blues between 1996 and 2003 and was one of the most exciting players to watch in the league.

Palmer, who joined Chelsea from Manchester City in 2023, has also earned a reputation as a player able to conjure up something from nothing and change games on his own.

So what does former Chelsea great Zola think of current Chelsea great Palmer?

“I love watching him play,” Zola told TNT Sports’ Ally McCoist.

‘The kid is a genius’ – Palmer has ‘something very unique’

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“I studied his background and he comes from playing in the streets or in the park. You can see in the way he plays. He is clever, he has that clever mentality that you develop from playing with adults in the street.

“You can see he has that and I love it; it’s an edge that will give him a lot in the future.”

And it is not only Palmer who has caught Zola’s eye.

“He is brave, not afraid of taking responsibility. We need those players,” said Zola.

“Especially nowadays with the type of football where there is a lot of passing from left to right, right to left. Sometimes you need to be brave and take a chance, with the risk of losing the ball, but try to do something important.

“People go to the stadium and want to see that, I want to see that. I want to see people being brave and trying something difficult.”

Zola says he has been impressed with the team and thinks they have high potential with a youthful squad.

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“Looking at them now, they look so strong. It’s a very well-coached team, organised, they have a lot of talent in different areas of the pitch. They have a lot of energy too, which is a big strength. They are probably one of the youngest teams in Europe,” said Zola.

“I didn’t know it was going to work. To have young players in the team is very important, but you need to have experience because that can be guidance.

“But it seems the model is working very well and Maresca has done an amazing job. He has given the whole team structure and everyone knows what they are doing.

“They still performed well without Cole Palmer which was remarkable. Where can they get to? The potential is very high, football is up and down, but it’s promising.”

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