Cole Palmer has thanked Mauricio Pochettino following the manager’s departure from Chelsea.

The Argentine left Stamford Bridge by mutual consent on Tuesday following just one season in charge, in which he guided the club to sixth in the Premier League table, while also reaching the EFL Cup final and FA Cup semi-finals.

Pochettino’s departure came as a shock, mainly due to the club’s turnaround in form which saw them rise to sixth, securing a return to European football next season after spending much of 2023/24 languishing in the bottom half.

But regardless of opinion on Pochettino’s sole campaign with Chelsea, his influence on Cole Palmer cannot be denied.

Many eyebrows were raised when Chelsea spent big to bring the youngster from Manchester City last summer. However, he’s very quickly established himself as arguably the club’s best player, ending the 2023/24 Premier League season with 22 goals and 11 assists, leaving him second only to Erling Haaland and Ollie Watkins in those respective metrics.

What’s more, Palmer came out on top among Chelsea players when it came to shots (109) and chances created (72), and second for take-ons completed (52), while his goal tally across all competitions extended to 25.

Palmer’s form has been enough to see him break into Gareth Southgate’s England side and the 22-year-old was recently named in the Three Lions’ 33-man provisional squad for this summer’s European Championships.

Cole Palmer thanks Mauricio Pochettino

Reacting to the news of Pochettino’s departure from Chelsea on his Instagram account, Palmer was full of praise for the Argentine following their sole season together.

“Gaffer, thank you for everything you have done for me and making my dreams come true. All the best,” wrote Palmer.

The search is now on to find the next Chelsea manager, with the likes of Sebastian Hoeness, Enzo Maresca and Kieran McKenna among those linked with the vacant post.