"It was a big move for me" - Chelsea summer signing explains why he left rival PL club and joined the Blues in the summer

Cole Palmer has explained that he left Manchester City for Chelsea this summer in search of regular playing time.

The English playmaker had been at Manchester City since joining their youth team in 2009. He rose through the ranks and made 41 senior appearances for them, scoring six goals and laying out two assists.

Despite Riyad Mahrez's move to Saudi Arabia and a couple of appearances early in the season, it became clear that Pep Guardiola didn't see him as a regular starter. The arrival of Jeremy Doku from Stade Rennais showed that the Spanish tactician wanted a different profile playing down the flank.

Eventually, Palmer made the switch to Stamford Bridge in a €47 million deal, joining a host of newly-signed youngsters in Mauricio Pochettino's squad. Some believed that the 21-year-old could get a chance at first-team football if he was patient enough.

But Palmer has now explained that he swapped Manchester for west London because he wanted an assurance of regular minutes. Speaking to the club's official website, he said:

"‘It happened fast to be fair. I spoke to someone at Chelsea and I was speaking to my dad, but I really didn’t know what to do. I was thinking about it for a couple of days, every minute of the day, and then I thought for my career I have to go and get regular game time.

"It was a big move for me. I’d never been out of Manchester, not even on loan or anything like that, so to move down here on my own was a big thing."

Palmer has four goals and as many assists in 11 games for his new club.

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Ex-Manchester City star highlights Mauricio Pochettino's role in Chelsea transfer

Cole Palmer also talked about the role Mauricio Pochettino played in his transfer from Manchester City to Chelsea.

The Englishman said that he had heard good things about the Argentine tactician and was excited about the positional freedom he would be afforded at Chelsea. He continued, via the aforementioned source:

"A lot of people told me how he is with young players and ever since I went to Chelsea I can see it. I am a player who always wants the ball, anywhere, to try and help the team get out of a difficult situation or create a chance. He has given me the confidence and licence to go where I want on the pitch, where I feel I can use my strengths, so I’m grateful for it."

The left-footed playmaker has already played in a wide variety of positions in attack and midfield for Chelsea. His performances also earned him his first senior England call-up earlier this month.