“I don’t understand” – Alan Shearer criticises Chelsea star’s recent decision

Premier League legend Alan Shearer has hit out at Chelsea star Cole Palmer for withdrawing from the recent England squad after he already missed out on a World Cup place.

Palmer has been a top performer for Chelsea, but he’s had a relatively underwhelming England career so far, with just 14 caps and two goals in almost four years.

England manager Thomas Tuchel left Palmer out of his World Cup squad in the summer, meaning Palmer should now be fresh after getting an extended break.

However, the 24-year-old surprisingly ended up not joining the latest Three Lions squad due to load management.

Shearer clearly wasn’t too impressed by Palmer’s decision as the Chelsea playmaker is surely someone who should now be taking every opportunity to win back favour at international level.

Alan Shearer on Cole Palmer’s England decision

“I think at every opportunity you have to go and play for England. You can’t just turn up for World Cups or Euros or whatever,” Shearer told Betfair, as quoted by the Metro.

The former Newcastle and England striker added: “The one I don’t understand is Cole Palmer’s withdrawal from the squad.

“I get that you have to manage your body, but he’s not played a lot of football and he’s not going to play a lot of football with Chelsea not being in Europe this season.

“So, without knowing all of the reasoning, that one is the standout one for me, especially when he wasn’t at the World Cup.”

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Palmer hasn’t quite been at his best for Chelsea in the last year or so, but some might argue that England’s World Cup squad missed someone of his profile over the summer.

It will be interesting to see if there is a long-term role for him in Tuchel’s plans.