Manchester City midfielder Rodri has tipped Cole Palmer to become a ‘huge star’ following Sunday’s Euro 2024 final.
Rodri lasted just 45 minutes of the final in Berlin but had the last laugh as Spain beat England 2-1 to win their record fourth European Championship crown.
La Roja dominated for large portions of the match but found themselves pegged back in the 73rd minute as England substitute Palmer levelled the scores with an excellent effort from distance — cancelling out Nico Williams’ opener.
However, full-back Marc Cucurella was able to pick out Mikel Oyarzabal in the England box just 13 minutes later, with the Real Sociedad forward making no mistake with his finish.
Nevertheless, Palmer more than made his presence felt from the bench, adding one chance created, a 100% dribble success rate and two passes into the final third to his goal despite being on the pitch for just 30 minutes.
That follows on from a stunning debut season at Chelsea after his move south from Manchester City, with Palmer — whose goal made him the youngest-ever substitute to score in a men’s European Championship final — notching 25 goals and 15 assists in 45 appearances across all competitions.
Rodri is in no doubt about his former teammate’s talent and potential for the future.
“I know these guys, Cole Palmer is a top player. He’s going to be a huge star in the next years,” Rodri told ITV after the match (via BBC Sport).
Of course, Rodri was also quick to predict big things for the young Spanish side that lit up Euro 2024.
“Imagine what we have next,” he added. “We are so happy. We made history but it doesn’t stop here. We have talent and we’ll keep going. It’s important to celebrate what we have done.”