Cole Palmer plays with a swagger that makes it looks like he hasn’t got a care in the world, but one of his Chelsea teammates claims to make him angry on a regular basis.
The 22-year-old has quickly become one of the top players in the Premier League since moving from Manchester City to Chelsea in 2023. After an outstanding debut season that earned him the PFA Young Player of the Year award, he has maintained his excellent form, scoring 11 goals and providing six assists under Enzo Maresca this season.
Palmer has become a sensation both on and off the field, gaining popularity through viral memes and videos, one of which humorously features him expressing his love for “Chippy chips.” His teammates are familiar with the viral clip, and Noni Madueke has even given him the nickname “Chippy Man.” However, the 22-year-old, who is also known as “Cold” due to his iconic shivering celebration, isn’t too fond of Madueke’s nickname.
Madueke shared his thoughts in an interview with Ben Foster for Amazon Prime Video: “The thing about Palmer is that he truly loves football. I feel like he could be out on the lawn kicking a ball from morning till night.”
Regarding the nickname, Madueke added: “It’s ‘chippy man.’ I call him that all the time. He gets angry, but it’s all good. Chippy, that’s him. Chippy chips. He’s going to be fuming when he sees this!”
Madueke isn’t the only one to give Palmer a food-inspired nickname. Serbian goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic, who played 31 matches last season and has since been loaned to Strasbourg, was given the nickname “Beetroot” by Palmer.
In response, the 25-year-old began calling Palmer “Beans” due to the playmaker’s fondness for eating them.
“Sometimes we have lunch together, and I have beetroot a lot, most of the time,” he told Chelsea’s official website. “So, Cole gave me the nickname ‘Beetroot.’
“I needed a nickname for him, and since he eats a lot of beans, which I think is pretty typical for English people, he’s now ‘Beans.’
“I know people call him ‘Cold Palmer,’ which is a fitting nickname for him, but for me, he’s ‘Beans.'”
After a disappointing 0-0 draw against Everton on Sunday, Chelsea will return to action on Boxing Day with a match against West London rivals Fulham at Stamford Bridge.
