Palmer's striving to be the perfect 10

BLUES STAR HAPPY TO WEAR ICONIC NUMBER

- John Cross

COLE PALMER grew up idolising Lionel Messi, Wayne Rooney and Eden Hazard.

Now he wants to raise his own game after fulfilling his boyhood ambition of getting the No.10 shirt with Chelsea.

Palmer, who wore No.20 for the past two years before the Club World Club, has not spoken to Mykhailo Mudryk, below, about taking his squad number as the Ukraine winger is facing a four-year ban after failing a drugs test. But Palmer could not hide his delight at being the main man, saying: "I wore No.10 growing up and I just like the number. It's just an iconic number.

"Messi, the big one, Rooney and players like that. I have seen him [Hazard] a few times at the training ground. He asked me for one of my shirts for his sons.