Chelsea supporters may be surprised to hear which player is frequently named as their best trainer.
The congested fixture schedule means Chelsea don’t get loads of time to work on the training pitches at Cobham between matches, so it’s vital they train hard and smart.
It’s been claimed that Blues head coach Enzo Maresca runs high-level training sessions. Even though there’s still a split within the fanbase over the Chelsea manager, he’s recognised as a tactically astute coach.
Cole Palmer trains the best at Chelsea
It may shock some Blues fans to hear that Cole Palmer, 23, is regularly the standout individual in Chelsea training.
During a segment on The Daily Mail, journalist Kieran Gill shared that Palmer’s name frequently pops up when it comes to which Blues star trains the best.
He’s explained that the attacking midfielder may be viewed as a ‘luxury player’, but that doesn’t prevent him from working hard behind the scenes in training.
There’s a preconceived idea in football that attackers and flair players don’t work as hard. Therefore, it’s great to clear up that Palmer goes above and beyond as a brilliant professional.
Earlier in the season, Cole Palmer won the bleep test at Chelsea, the infamous running drill. On top of possessing crazy individual skill, he’s got immense work rate and athleticism.
Since Palmer arrived at Stamford Bridge from Manchester City, he’s carried the team on his back for large spells.
| Appearances | Goals | Assists |
| 87 | 40 | 25 |
Eden Hazard was the complete opposite
In contrast, Chelsea legend Eden Hazard was renowned for being a poor trainer, but he could turn it on whenever games came around.
Even though John Terry claimed Eden Hazard was “non-existent” in training when they were together at Chelsea, the Belgian winger had a special ability to flick a switch in matches.
It takes a very unique kind of individual to train poorly but to shine on a matchday.
The fact that Hazard retired from football aged 32 back in 2023 is perhaps a sign that he didn’t train as well as he should have.
