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Former Chelsea midfielder, John Obi Mikel has praised Mauricio Pochettino for his ability to transform Cole Palmer into a monster of a footballer since he joined the Blues.

Palmer, 21, moved to Stamford Bridge in the summer in a bid to enjoy more regular minutes. The transfer was sealed with Manchester City for a fee around £40m.

The versatile footballer has impressed since the move, registering four assists and four goals since then. He was even recently included in Gareth Southgate’s England squads during the last international break, and Mikel thinks Pochettino deserves huge credit for the work he has done on the Englishman.

Speaking recently on CNN, the former Chelsea player said: “What he does with young players is absolutely fantastic. Look what he’s doing with Palmer now. He’s come from Manchester City. He didn’t play as many games as he wanted. He’s come to Chelsea and he’s performing really well. It’s like a different player.

“He’s creating chances, scoring goals and also the confidence that he has, the arrogance that he has now. And I think that transfers from the manager. The manager’s probably given him that and said: ‘Go out there, be who you are and perform the way you want to perform.’ And that freedom has just given him that.

“He expresses himself, a little bit of arrogance, a little bit of cheekiness here and there. That’s what we want, that’s what we need and the performances will come with that.”