Chelsea star Cole Palmer made a surprising pick when asked to name the best penalty taker. The Englishman chose Italian striker Mario Balotelli over more famous names like Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, or even Andrea Pirlo.
During an interview, Palmer was asked who he would trust to take a penalty if his life depended on it. Despite being able to choose himself, he opted for Balotelli. Since joining Chelsea from Manchester City in 2023, Palmer has quickly become a key player, scoring 31 goals and providing 19 assists in 53 appearances across all competitions.
Speaking with BBC Sport (via @BBCMOTD on X), Palmer explained his choice of Balotelli as his preferred penalty taker. He initially joked, “If I can’t pick myself…,” to which the interviewer replied, “You can pick yourself.”
Palmer laughed, admitting, “Yeah, I would. But for the sake of the question, I’ll go with Balotelli. Have you seen his penalties?”
Though the interviewer was surprised, Palmer confidently added, “I trust him. Look up his penalties on YouTube, you’ll see why.”