Chelsea star Cole Palmer has admitted he didn’t want to leave Manchester City

before his £42.5million move to Stamford Bridge in 2023 - before his lack of game time forced his hand.

Palmer has become a superstar at Chelsea during his two seasons in west London, winning the PFA Young Player of the Year and the Football Writers Association Footballer of the Year after scoring 25 goals and registering 13 assists.

His incredible form has continued this season after notching 14 goals and six assists under new boss Enzo Maresca and City may regret letting him go after watching him flourish with regular football.

Speaking on the documentary England’s Lions: A New Generation on Prime Video, he revealed his reluctance to join the Londoners at first. He said: "I was so adamant for ages that I wasn’t going. I’ve never moved out of Manchester. I really didn’t want to go. (But) you get a bit disheartened at City – why am I not getting a chance to play? You just know when you’re ready to play."

Palmer was speaking to his father Jermaine on the documentary and reiterated that joining Chelsea was "the best decision of his career" - and added he had no idea what he would have done if he didn't become a footballer.

"I’m thankful," he added. "I have no idea what I’d do if I wasn’t a footballer. Actually zero idea. Growing up with around Wythenshawe, everyone does footy or drugs. There are two paths. I just love football so much. You don’t get there with no graft, do you?"

Jermaine opened up on Palmer's struggles with game time at the Etihad and said his son was adamant he'd be a City player for the rest of his career until he was forced to seek a permanent exit when the club refused to let him leave on loan.

He said: "[Palmer] thought he’d be at City all his life. He didn’t really want to leave. He wanted to go out on loan because he knew he wasn’t going to play much. But they refused him a loan. So he said he’d have to leave."

Palmer's next game for Chelsea will be a UEFA Conference League last-16 clash against FC Copenhagen before a huge game against Arsenal before he will likely link up with England during the international break.