Cole Palmer seals Chelsea awards double after incredible first season

Cole Palmer has been rewarded for a stellar debut campaign at Chelsea with an awards double.

Palmer has enjoyed a sensational first term at Stamford Bridge since joining from Premier League rivals Manchester City in a £42.5million deal on transfer deadline day last summer, quickly becoming the club’s attacking talisman under Mauricio Pochettino by notching 26 goals and providing 13 assists in 45 appearances across all competitions so far.

21 of those goals have come in the Premier League, where only former team-mate Erling Haaland (25) is now ahead in the Golden Boot race after notching four times in City’s 5-1 rout of Wolves last weekend.

As well as becoming an instrumental figure for Chelsea after seeing his first-team opportunities restricted at City, Palmer - who scored the opener in Sunday’s 5-0 rout of London rivals West Ham - has also earned his first two senior international caps for England this season and now looks a shoo-in to make Gareth Southgate’s squad for the European Championship in Germany this summer.

The 22-year-old was recognised for his scintillating first season in west London by picking up Chelsea’s Men’s Player of the Season prize at an award ceremony held at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday night.

He was also voted by his team-mates as Men’s Players’ Player of the Year, with Jess Carter taking the Women’s Players’ Player of the Year plaudits as Lauren James won the overall Women’s Player of the Year award.

Alfie Gilchrist took home Men’s Academy Player of the Year honours after his impressive first-team breakthrough under Pochettino this term, with Katie Cox the Women’s Academy Player of the Year.

The PFA Community Champions award was shared by both Conor Gallagher and Zecira Musovic, with the latter also collecting the AllBright Award.

Also at Tuesday night’s awards ceremony, Chelsea paid tribute to outgoing women’s team boss Emma Hayes, who will leave the club after 12 years this summer in order to become the new head coach of the United States Women’s National Team.

Hayes’ achievements with the Blues, including six Women’s Super League (WSL) titles, five FA Cups and two League Cups, have been reflected in a new installation added to the wall of legends outside the Shed End at Stamford Bridge.