Glenn Hoddle believes England and Chelsea playmaker Cole Palmer has the potential to become a ‘superstar’ and surpass Manchester City’s Phil Foden.
Palmer and Foden were team-mates at the Etihad Stadium before the former completed a £40m move to Stamford Bridge in the summer of 2023.
The presence of Premier League Player of the Year Foden was one of the reasons Man City sold Palmer as both occupy a similar position on the pitch.
But Manchester City and Etihad boss Pep Guardiola must be questioning their decision after seeing Palmer’s remarkable form at Chelsea.
The 22-year-old has scored 29 goals in 43 league games since arriving in west London and made more assists than any other player over the past 15 months.
Palmer, who is contracted to Chelsea until 2033, has become a regular for England and scored in the Euro 2024 final against Spain.
Meanwhile, Foden underwhelmed during the Euros despite calls from a number of pundits for Gareth Southgate to build his team around the City playmaker.
Hoddle says Foden is a ‘special talent’ but insists Palmer has the potential to ‘go ahead’ of his ex-Manchester City teammate and be the focal point of England’s team.
Asked which player England should look to build around going into the 2026 World Cup, Hoddle told Stick to Football with Sky Bet: ‘I’ve always rated Phil Foden as a top player.
‘He hasn’t played so well in the Euros and hasn’t done what I thought he would do. I think Foden is a special talent but its whether he can reproduce what he’s doing at City in an England shirt.
‘Cole Palmer looks unbelievable. He’s an interesting one because if he stays unattached to the game, because for me he’s a player that plays in the playground, he could elevate himself to being a superstar and could go ahead of Foden in many ways.
‘The question mark is if he can continue to do that over the coming seasons because we all know what’s coming for him, the journey he’ll be taking with the ups and downs, injuries he might get, dip in form – there is a multitude of things he has to come through to be the superstar I think he is.’
England came close to ending their long wait for silverware under Gareth Southgate, losing back-to-back European Championship finals and going deep in two World Cups.
Tuchel was appointed as Southgate’s replacement last month in a somewhat controversial move given his nationality.
But Hoddle, who played for and managed England, believes the Three Lions are in safe hands under the former Chelsea, Bayern Munich and PSG boss.
‘I like Thomas Tuchel – I’ve spent a bit of time with him and done interviews with him,’ he added.
‘What he did at Chelsea – look what happened to them when he left. He won them the Champions League and he should probably still be there now.
‘I’m happy [with Tuchel joining England] on the football front. Even if Pep Guardiola took over, it’s about putting the best jockey on the horse – it doesn’t mean the horse is always going to win.
‘The World Cup is a hard trophy to win, but Tuchel is the second-best jockey around at the moment. All the other rubbish, about him being German, we’re passed that – if Jurgen Klopp had become manager no one would’ve moaned.
‘If you look at all the top teams in the Champions League, they’re all owned by foreign owners, who aren’t worried about England – they’re worried about their clubs, so they will bring in foreign managers.
‘Who has had an opportunity – Harry Redknapp had a bit of a chance when Spurs were in the Champions League, Eddie Howe had one season with Newcastle last year – but nothing sustained over a period.
‘When they start changing and giving English managers opportunities to do that at the top, we’ll be able to judge if they’re as good at Tuchel, Pep or anyone else out there.’