The Chelsea midfielder was asked by Sports Direct to list his top five footballers globally. ..Continue Reading
Despite being widely regarded by fans and analysts as the greatest of all time, Ronaldo was placed fourth on Palmer’s GOAT ranking.
He praised Lionel Messi as the GOAT, followed by Neymar and Wayne Rooney.
Messi’s illustrious spell at Barcelona saw him claim 10 La Liga championships and four Champions League trophies.
Palmer also mentioned Neymar, who shared the pitch with Messi during their time together at Barcelona.
Rooney rose to prominence after scoring for Everton against Arsenal and later became a Manchester United icon, netting 253 goals — a club record.
Meanwhile, Ronaldo continues to perform at a high level at age 40, having netted five times in six appearances for Al Nassr this season. He remains committed to extending his remarkable career.
Palmer initially wore Chelsea’s No.20 shirt after joining from Manchester City in the summer of 2023.
Ahead of the 2025/26 campaign, he opted for the No.10 jersey, citing inspiration from Messi and Rooney, both of whom wore that number during Rooney’s time at Manchester United.
Asked if there were any number 10s he particularly saw as role models, he said: “Messi, the big one, Rooney and players like that. It’s just an iconic number. I wore No.10 all my life growing up and I just like the number.”
Having developed through Manchester City’s academy, Palmer spent his childhood supporting Manchester United and fondly recalled playing at Old Trafford.
He said: “When I do go back to the stadium [Old Trafford] it’s good because I used to go and watch matches there.”
On Rooney, Palmer added: “Obviously I supported United and he was probably the best player when I was watching them.”
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