Cole Palmer admits he was unsure over his transfer status this summer, with speculation over a possible loan move away from Manchester City following him throughout the transfer window.
However, after a conversation with Pep Guardiola, Palmer says he trusts in City's plan for him this season as he has been permanently promoted to a first team squad member.
As many academy teammates left City this summer either permanently or on loan, Palmer survived the cut and the 20-year-old has made eight appearances off the bench so far this season. Opening up on his change of status after often dropping down to the academy often last season, Palmer says he wants to follow Phil Foden in successfully breaking into the senior side.
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Speaking to SportBible, he said: “Before Phil there wasn't really anyone but when you see someone do it, You think, ‘Right if he can do it, then why can't I do it?’ I believe in myself. I think I'm good enough. So I’ve just got to stick it out. And hopefully I can do it.
“All the talk of him going on loan, it’s the same talk with me - ‘Am I going on loan?’ - but I think the best place to be if you want to get in the team and learn with the players, you’re going to have to stay there. I could’ve gone on loan but everyone thought the best option was to stay.
“It can work in different ways I think. But I'm a late developer so I probably wasn't ready to go out on loan at that stage. You know what I mean? When I am getting more developed, I think I'd be best suited to stay so it was a bit of a sticky one.
“The focus was more to just stay and train with the best players. He [Guardiola] said a few things to me, to stick at it and be patient. All the staff have said it to me often. I’ve got to trust him to be honest, and hopefully, get more and more gametime.”
Palmer also discussed his transition from academy training to the first team, where he admits he may have spent some early training sessions in awe of his new colleagues.
He said: “I was more focused on the players [than working with Guardiola] to be honest. Like, because obviously when you go into the academy go over you think about all these players, like [Sergio] Aguero and that was all there out the time we went over.
“And then obviously, when you see Pep, it's just like mesmerising. But now I'm getting used to it. When you go from training with the under-18’s and 23’s to the first team, the difference is just mad.
“The intensity, but then you look at certain things they do and you just think, ‘Wow’. When you watch it on TV and the ball comes over, and it's spinning mad ways and stuff and someone controls it dead. People think it’s normal but it’s mad.”
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