In an era where Premier League footballers often dominate headlines with displays of wealth and extravagance, Cole Palmer has captured public attention for a more straightforward reason. The Chelsea star recently made waves with a low-key visit to a McDonald’s drive-thru in a modest Mazda 323 (probably his mates), a moment that certified his chill demeanor.
At 22, Cole Palmer is enjoying another stellar season with nine goals and six assists in 16 games across all competitions for Chelsea. Following his $54 million transfer from Manchester City and a PFA Young Player of the Season win in 2023-24, he has cemented his place as one of England‘s top talents. Despite his meteoric rise, Palmer’s humble, calm personality is a hit among fans.
Palmer’s taste for simple things, like chippy chips
Palmer’s unexpected appearance at the McDonald’s drive-thru during the November international break, when he had withdrawn from the England squad with an injury, went viral.
Speaking on the Men In Blazers podcast, Palmer revealed his go-to McDonald’s order: “Double cheeseburger, 20 nuggets, and a strawberry milkshake.” Palmer’s visit left employees at the fast-food joint in shock, with two staff members posing for photos replicating Palmer’s “cold” celebration. The meme has spread across youth football.
“It’s a good feeling when I see it,” said Palmer. “Especially when I see random kids in random places doing it after scoring in grassroots football or something like that—it’s nice. It feels like that was me not so long ago.”
Palmer explained how his life has changed since becoming a household name. “Yeah, it has changed massively,” he admitted.
Before Palmer hit up McDonald’s that evening for “chippy chips,” he could be seen in the crowds wearing a cover-up ski mask at a Stockport-Wrexham match at Edgeley Park. “You can’t go to certain places because you’ll get pestered, and you can’t be bothered with it because you just want to chill. When you go to a shop around the corner, you might think, ‘Oh, someone is watching me or something.'”
Palmer’s fame hasn’t stopped him from enjoying life’s simpler pleasures, but he revealed what he misses most about his pre-stardom days: “Going to play five-a-side,” he said. “I swear that’s actually true. Yeah, just going to five-a-side with mates and playing and that.”
Palmer’s ordinariness and brilliance on the pitch are unusual and compelling. He’s achieved the miraculous: a man of the people who plays and acts as cool as the other side of the pillow.
