Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand has heaped praise on young midfielder Cole Palmer, saying he has “mad talent” and “mad confidence”.
Speaking on his Vibe with Five podcast, Ferdinand said he was impressed with Palmer’s attitude and swagger.
“One guy I want to talk about is Cole Palmer,” he said. “Interesting to see how it plays out this window. I think he just wants to play more regular football.” Rio stated via MEN
“[He is a] mad talent. Do you know what I like about him? He’s got the mad confidence.
“He comes out for the warm-up before a game and he knows Joleon [Lescott] really well from being his coach at the Under-21s. But he walks out for the warm-up and my man’s got his shorts halfway down his bum, and he’s just cracking jokes on the side with Joleon.
“He’ll hit a shot and look at Joleon, and say [gestures showing a smug pose], like if you bang it top corner or something like that.”
Palmer, 20, has made 16 appearances for City this season, scoring four goals. He has also been capped by England at Under-21 level.
Ferdinand believes Palmer has the potential to be a star at City, but he needs to be given more opportunities to play.
“He’s got to play more football,” he said. “He’s got to get in that team and start showing what he can do. I think he’s got the talent to do it.”
City manager Pep Guardiola has also spoken highly of Palmer, calling him a “special talent.
“He has everything to be a top player,” Guardiola said. “He is intelligent, he can shoot, he can dribble, he can pass. He has everything.”
It remains to be seen whether Palmer will be given more opportunities to play in the second half of the season. However, Ferdinand’s comments suggest that he is a player with a bright future.
