‘I got a little insight…’ – Souness reveals Dubai moment that hints at why Cole Palmer didn’t make England squad

GRAEME SOUNESS has revealed Cole Palmer gave him an “insight” into his character after seeing him act “extremely rude” to someone in a Dubai restaurant. The former Liverpool boss was asked about Thomas Tuchel‘s controversial decision to leave the Chelsea midfielder out of his final World Cup squad. Graeme Souness claimed Cole Palmer gave him an ‘insight’ into his character before his World Cup omission Credit: Willie Vass The Scot said the Chelsea star acted ‘extremely rude to someone’ in a restaurant in Dubai Credit: Getty England‘s disastrous World Cup exit against Argentina in the semi-finals has opened up the debate about his omission again after Tuchel parked the bus in Atlanta. In May, Tuchel explained he left Palmer at home because his record with England was “not outstanding enough” to make him an automatic pick. Sign up for the Chelsea newsletter Thank you! Palmer’s exclusion was a head-scratcher for some fans even though he didn’t have the best individual season for the Blues. But Souness has hinted there may be another reason why Palmer didn’t make the cut after an encounter in Dubai. READ MORE ON THE WORLD CUP He told World Cup Uncensored with Simon Jordan: “I think he’s outstanding [as a player]. “I don’t know what his character is, I got a little insight into that in Dubai in February where he was extremely rude to someone in a restaurant.” Souness also took issue with two England stars who went to the World Cup in Declan Rice and Elliot Anderson. The Scot said there “wasn’t enough football in them” and branded Arsenal star Rice “limited” compared to the likes of Spain’s Rodri. Most read in Sport WORLD CUP 2026 FREE BETS AND SIGN UP OFFERS Tuchel said Palmer was ‘not outstanding enough’ during England games to make the cut Credit: Getty He continued: “I don’t see enough football in the two of them [Rice and Anderson]. I don’t see them hurting anyone. “Declan Rice, for me, limited. You hear people talk about Declan Rice, ‘a world-class footballer’, I think he might be a centre-half. “My take on being a central midfield player is – if you’re a striker, or you’re someone in wide areas, they want me to have the minimum touch. Ideally one touch or two touch. “People say about midfielders ‘he carries the ball really well’. You don’t want to carry the ball really well! “I’ve got Declan Rice running with the ball, runs 20 yards, confronted by an opposition player, handbrake goes on, passes it square.” On the night, Tuchel claimed England were “too passive” despite converting to a back five in the last 15 minutes of the game. He has copped plenty of flak for his negative tactics that saw him take off goalscorer Anthony Gordon and replace him with defender Ezri Konsa. But he accepted full responsibility for England’s agonising exit amid huge pressure on his position. The German said: “I take responsibility. If it’s easier, if someone takes the blame, I take the blame. It’s not a problem. “If this is the deal that you sign up for, as I understand it, and you have every right to do so. “But I will not engage in this kind of game. Because, for me, there is no one to blame. “That’s just how it is, and we have to live with this. So it’s our pain, my pain, and the players’ pain. “We feel the most pain of all, and it is our scar that we carry now. “It is a very painful defeat, and we have to live with this defeat first and foremost. “Not the critics, not the experts, not our family members who suffer as well with us and want only the best for us, but it’s us.” Comment now