England and Chelsea star Cole Palmer made debut at Bantams

The 22-year-old was the top-scoring Englishman in the Premier League with 22 goals – second behind Man City machine Erling Haaland – and bagged hat-tricks in successive home games against Manchester United and Everton.

Palmer’s exciting progress saw him capped twice by Gareth Southgate last season and he is set to make the cut when the 33-strong training squad is cut to 26 by next Saturday in time to head for Germany.

But as he gears up for England's final warm-up games against Bosnia and Iceland, did you know that it all started with a bit-part role at Valley Parade?

Palmer made his first appearance in senior football five years ago in BD8.

Just 17 at the time, he came off the bench for Manchester City’s under-21s against the Bantams in the EFL Trophy.

Only 868 fans were at Valley Parade to witness the group game – which the visitors won 2-1 after coming from behind.

Few – if any – of the crowd will remember Palmer’s presence.

He was not brought on until the 88th minute and barely touched the ball in an added time where the home side did all the attacking.

Palmer was not the only debutant that night – three of the City side were making their first-team bow.

Gary Bowyer, manager at the time, made 10 changes from the team that had beaten Carlisle the previous weekend. Only centre half Ben Richards-Everton kept his place.

There was a debut start in goal for George Sykes-Kenworthy while fellow youngsters Jorge Sikora and Connor Morris got their first taste of senior action when they came on as second-half subs.

Hope Akpan, City’s captain for the evening, put them in front on 21 minutes after Shay McCartan had hit the post. Akpan met Zeli Ismail’s cross with a header in a crowded goalmouth.

George Sykes-Kenworthy was one of three City debutants (Image: Thomas Gadd)

But the visitors were level within five minutes as Morgan Rogers equalised with a low drive into the far corner.

And Man City won it on 63 minutes when the Bantams failed to clear a low cross from Nathaniel Ogbeta, allowing captain Tommy Doyle to pounce from close range.

Palmer made his late introduction in place of Rogers, who is also playing Premier League football now for Aston Villa.

He scored again at Valley Parade last season while on loan for Middlesbrough in their Carabao Cup third-round win.

Doyle has also been playing in the top flight recently with Wolves after a previous loan spell at Sheffield United.

Goalkeeper Danny Grimshaw is now the regular number one at Blackpool. His unused back-up against City that night, Gavin Bazunu, is recovering from a season-ending injury with Southampton.

Ogbeta was a recent beaten Wembley finalist when he lost the League One play-off with Bolton, on a loan spell from Swansea.

Morris left the Bantams in 2021 to join Manchester-based Mossley in the Northern Premier League.

Cole Palmer scored 22 Premier League goals for Chelsea last season (Image: PA)

Sykes-Kenworthy re-joined Bowyer in Derby’s under-23 squad in 2020 before signing for Boston and then Bradford (Park Avenue).

He left Horsfall Stadium last summer to sign for York and made 25 appearances as the Minster Men survived to stay up in the National League.

Defender Sikora joined Brighouse Town in February from Marske United.

As for Palmer? Following a £42.5 million move to Stamford Bridge a year ago, he has emerged as one of the hottest properties in English football.

But City can always claim a small part in his rapid rise to fame.

CITY: Sykes-Kenworthy, Henley, French, Richards-Everton, Longridge, Akpan, Devine, Ismail (Staunton 46min), McCartan (Sikora 66min), Patrick, Oteh (Morris 73min).

MAN CITY U21s: Grimshaw, Ogbeta, McDonald, Robinson, Amankwah, Doyle, Pozo, Dele-Bashiru, Knight (Zoubdi Touaizi 82min), Rogers (Palmer 88min), Braaf (Florini 89min).