Cole Palmer has shared his frustrations over his lack of playing time in the England squad during the 2024 Euros.
“It was frustrating at England, to be fair,” Palmer told GQ. “Not to say that the players aren’t good. But just coming off the back of the season I had, the form I was in, everything I was doing was coming off … So I’m not playing in the first two games even when the team was struggling, it was a bit like ‘Why? Do you know what I mean?’ If you bring me on [in] the third game and I don’t do anything, then I can’t really say anything. I just had to try and force my way in.”
The Chelsea midfielder did not play in England’s first two matches of the tournament and was not named in the starting lineup for any of England’s seven matches at the tournament.
Palmer was utilised by Southgate as an impact substitute, a role in which he a role in which he assisted Ollie Watkins’ dramatic late semifinal winner against Netherlands and scored in the final defeat to Spain.
Palmer was one of eight players who withdrew from interim coach Lee Carsley’s England squad with injuries for their Nations League fixtures this month.
Levi Colwill, Phil Foden, Jack Grealish, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Aaron Ramsdale and Declan Rice will also be unavailable for the matches against Greece and Republic of Ireland.
