Chelsea forward João Pedro has praised teammate Cole Palmer, insisting the England international is talented enough to start for Brazil.
Speaking on the Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast, the 24-year-old striker said he was initially surprised by Palmer’s quality when he joined Chelsea but quickly changed his view after training alongside him.
“He’s very intelligent. He’s magic,” João Pedro said. “I said to him before, ‘I didn’t think you were that good.’ And he looked at me [with a quizzical expression]. But now, because I play with him, yeah, he’s different.”
He added that he even joked about Palmer fitting into Brazil’s national team setup.
“I said to him, ‘Why don’t you come to Brazil? Take the number 10 there, mate. No problem.’”
“Because in Brazil, we don’t have this guy. If you watch us we play 4-2-4. We don’t have a number 10,” he explained.
João Pedro further described Palmer as a game-changing player capable of deciding matches in moments.
“Cole is a different guy. Sometimes he’s quiet, but then [snaps fingers]. One second, he’s changed the game. So he’s very good.”
Both Palmer and João Pedro were surprise omissions from their respective World Cup squads, with Carlo Ancelotti opting to include Neymar, while players such as Morgan Rogers and Noni Madueke earned places in Thomas Tuchel’s plans.
Neymar, who has missed Santos’ last three matches and Brazil’s first training camp due to a bruised right calf, has said he does not expect the injury to affect his World Cup participation.
Speaking about the Brazil manager’s approach, João Pedro also praised Ancelotti’s emphasis on collective strength over individual brilliance.
“[Ancelotti] says he doesn’t want one guy. He wants the group. Because he thinks the group has more power than one guy.”
“And I think with him there, when he talks, people listen. Because he wins everything. And with the players, he tries to build relationships with everyone.”
“He tells you what he wants to do but also gives the freedom for you to play your football, to enjoy [it]. So, I think he’s very good for the team.”
Boluwatife Enome
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