Man United legend tears into Chelsea star with ‘many bad habits’ who is toying with England future

Roy Keane has delivered a brutal assessment of Cole Palmer, questioning whether the Chelsea star can take England to the next level despite his impressive talent.

The Manchester United legend criticised Palmer’s “bad habits” after the midfielder withdrew from England duty again, with manager Thomas Tuchel also admitting the 24-year-old is missing too many opportunities to work with the national team.

Palmer has made a strong start to the Premier League season, registering two goals and two assists in his first five appearances for Chelsea.

However, Keane believes England supporters should lower their expectations of the former Manchester City academy graduate, who withdrew from international duty because of fitness concerns for the fourth time.

Speaking on ITV Sport before England’s Nations League defeat to Spain at Wembley, Keane questioned whether Palmer could become the player capable of transforming the Three Lions.

“Well, I think, whatever his injuries, and if he is injured… I watched his last game against Brentford and if you think he’s going to get England to another level and win trophies, forget about it,” Keane said.

“I like Palmer, he’s a talented boy, but he’s got far too many bad habits, for me.”

Palmer played the full 90 minutes of Chelsea’s 3-0 defeat to Brentford before withdrawing from Tuchel’s latest England squad. The midfielder had also pulled out of Lee Carsley’s final interim squad in November 2024, shortly after Tuchel was appointed as Gareth Southgate’s successor.

Tuchel has made it clear that Palmer’s repeated absences are becoming an issue, although he insisted the door remains open for the Chelsea star. The England manager pointed to the players available to him, including Jude Bellingham, Morgan Rogers, Morgan Gibbs-White and Eberechi Eze, who were all present and ready to contribute.

“I am not his friend. I am his national team coach and I can only judge him on what he is delivering for the national team and he is just missing too many opportunities,” Tuchel said.

The German later explained that Palmer had been playing through discomfort and pain and could not compete at the required level.

“He misses too many opportunities, and I don't blame him for it. It's just the fact. He misses way too many camps with injuries and I only want to rely on what I personally witness and what I see within my team,” Tuchel added.

The manager stressed that players who miss international camps also miss the chance to develop within his system and build relationships with their teammates.

“What sticks with me is the week that I have with the others,” Tuchel said. “They [the absentees] lose that. That sticks because we create something.”

England subsequently suffered a 3-2 defeat to Spain, with the result adding further scrutiny to the team’s attacking options and the players competing for positions behind the striker.