Roy Keane Criticizes Cole Palmer's 'Bad Habits' and England's Chances

Roy Keane, the Manchester United legend, has expressed skepticism about Cole Palmer's ability to elevate the England national team, citing "bad habits" after the Chelsea player withdrew from international duty for fitness reasons.

Keane's comments came ahead of England's Nations League defeat to Spain at Wembley. "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 stated on ITV Sport. "I like Palmer, he’s a talented boy, but he’s got far too many bad habits, for me."

Palmer has withdrawn from England duty for the fourth time. He was part of the squad named by Thomas Tuchel but pulled out alongside other players like Declan Rice and Marcus Rashford. This follows a similar withdrawal in November 2024 after Tuchel's appointment as head coach.

Tuchel himself has questioned Palmer's commitment. "Everybody is desperate to come and represent England," Tuchel said when asked about Palmer's decision to withdraw despite playing 90 minutes for Chelsea in their previous match. "It’s hard to argue against what you are saying."

When asked what advice he would give Palmer if he were his friend, Tuchel responded, "It leaves us with Jude Bellingham, Morgan Rogers, Morgan Gibbs-White and Eberechi Eze in that position. All in camp. All desperate to be here. All available. And all ready to go, ready to stop a holiday after one day in Dubai."

Tuchel emphasized that while he is not Palmer's friend but his national team coach, he can only judge players on their contributions to the national team. "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, and for that you have to be in camp."

He added that players who are not in camp miss out on the crucial development of team principles and camaraderie. "This brotherhood is so important and you miss out if you’re not there."

England's match against Spain saw them lose 3-2. Marc Guehi's early error gifted Spain the lead, though England responded with goals from Anthony Gordon and Harry Kane. However, Spain secured the win in the second half with goals from Alex Baena and Mikel Oyarzabal.

Palmer has had a decent start to the Premier League season with Chelsea, scoring two goals and providing two assists in the first five games. Despite this, Keane's comments suggest a lack of faith in his immediate impact on the national team's success.