Following his impressive performance for Chelsea and England’s run to the Euro final—where they were defeated by Spain—Palmer was granted a few weeks of rest to recuperate. But now, in preparation for the upcoming Premier League season, he is back in Cobham.
With 25 goals and 15 assists across all competitions last season, Palmer was Chelsea’s unsung hero. The west London club is hoping the England international, who helped the Blues finish sixth last season, can lead them to even greater glory in 2024–25.Palmer may have a chance to play for the first squad again in Sunday’s last preseason friendly against Inter. The next week, on the first day of the new season, they would be hosting Manchester City, the reigning Premier League champions, at Stamford Bridge.
The summer shakeup at Chelsea did not affect John Terry’s position at the academy
Despite a reorganization that took place this summer, John Terry will still be involved with Chelsea’s youth program this year.
Last month, it was reported that Jim Fraser, with whom Terry had worked closely, and Neil Bath, who had been instrumental in bringing Terry back to Chelsea to assist at the academy, would be leaving their respective positions.
Terry is now finalizing an extension to his rolling deal, which will keep Chelsea’s former captain on the team, when news of their departures broke.
Among Terry’s many contributions to Chelsea have been his conversations with players and their families, as well as his counsel for the club’s future greats.
To prove that young players can achieve greatness at Chelsea, many look up to Terry, the club’s most successful academy product.
Terry won five Premier Leagues, five FA Cups, three League Cups, the Champions League, and the Europa League during his 715 appearances for Chelsea.
With the recent sale of Conor Gallagher and the impending departure of Trevoh Chalobah and Armando Broja, Chelsea may find his continued employment all the more crucial.
Terry, in addition to his work at Chelsea’s academy, has spent the last year preparing to register his philanthropic foundation.
While Bath formerly oversaw the Chelsea academy, he is now the director of football development and operations, while Fraser was head of youth development until his most recent position.
Filipe Coelho and Glenn van der Kraan have been hired by Chelsea to assist with the academy.
When asked about the challenge that the Chelsea youth players face as they move up the ladder to the first team, Coelho warned that the kids should be prepared to put in a lot of time and effort. Thoughtfulness is just as important as performance. They can go to the next level if they really want to.
The squad is working well together and everyone is putting forth their best effort in practice. They will be well-prepared for competitions if they train as though they are competing. Your commitment is significant.
Working hard, pushing oneself to one’s limits, and never giving up is the Chelsea way. All members of this team must uphold these principles.