Birthday margaritas with girlfriend and pre-season hunger: Cole Palmer’s summer of contrasts

Last Updated on 26 July 2026

Cole Palmer was not at the World Cup. He watched it from home while England lost to Argentina in the semi-final as Harry Kane added to his tournament goals record and while England reached the last four for only the second time since 1966.

He was in a Nike World Cup advertisement that aired in front of 50 million viewers but not in the squad. It was, by any measure, a strange summer.

Palmer has spent it, wisely, making the most of it and now he is back in a Chelsea shirt, ready to prove Thomas Tuchel wrong.

Olivia Holder’s big night and Palmer’s relaxed attire

Before any of that, there was a birthday to attend. Palmer’s girlfriend Olivia Holder turned 24 this week, and marked the occasion in style, posing in front of a giant ’24’, sporting jeans, a white bra and a see-through yellow top that her followers will not have forgotten quickly.

A birthday margarita in hand, two dachshunds in her arms, and her boyfriend, England’s most technically gifted playmaker, standing beside her in what can only be described as training kit. Palmer’s contribution to the evening’s aesthetic was, charitably, functional.

A matching t-shirt and shorts ensemble that the Daily Star noted “wouldn’t look out of place on the training pitch” was his chosen look a surprise birthday gathering. Holder’s caption was unaware: “The best early birthday surprise from my favourite people in the world.”

The pair have been together since last year, and the display of easy, relaxed affection, arm around each other, summer tans, the aforementioned dachshunds, suggested a couple entirely comfortable in one another’s company. Palmer, to his credit, got involved. The kit, less so.

Cole Palmer under Xabi & the Rogers partnership that could define Chelsea’s season

The birthday celebrations aside, Palmer’s summer has carried an undercurrent of professional frustration that no amount of margaritas fully resolves. Tuchel’s decision to leave him at home definitely left a dent for a player that has only grown into his own since moving to Chelsea.

He reported back to Cobham last week and is among the marquee names in Xabi Alonso’s Australia pre-season tour squad. The rest of Chelsea’s World Cup contingent due to follow after their extended post-tournament breaks.

The arrival of Rogers is also interesting from Palmer’s perspective. The £117million man’s ability to carry the ball through midfield and arrive late in dangerous areas maps directly onto the spaces Palmer vacates when drifting into central pockets.