Cole Palmer traded the football pitch for the red carpet on Tuesday night, stepping out with his influencer girlfriend Connie Grace for the first time at the GQ Men of the Year Awards in London.
The Chelsea midfielder, dressed sharply in a black suit and bowtie, attended the glamorous event at The Roof Gardens, with Connie, also from Manchester, who complemented Cole’s look in a sleek black dress that highlighted her toned midriff.
Making their relationship public with the debut appearance, the couple, who partied with the likes of Usain Bolt, have reportedly been together for around three months.
Connie is a nail technician but regularly travels, posting updates on her Instagram profile, which boasts over 17,000 followers despite having just 72 pictures.
Cole regularly likes her uploads, including sultry bikini snaps from her idyllic holidays to Ibiza and Bali. Her most recent glamorous photo was taken at Stamford Bridge – with the caption: ‘Fur season’.
The couple are said to have flown to Ibiza via private jet in August, where they enjoyed a ‘quick trip’ together, dining out on the harbour where they shared a romantic candlelit meal.
Connie was also seen posing alongside the Chelsea star after he picked up the PFA Young Player of the Year award in September. However, the GQ Men of the Year Awards in London was their first official outing.
The Chelsea footballer shared a tender embrace with Manchester-born Connie during the club’s clash against Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge in the autumn, hugging the beauty from the sidelines in front of thousands of fans.
Cole Palmer made his first public appearance with his girlfriend Connie Grace (right) at the GQ Men of the Year Awards
Cole was named PFA Young Player of the Year following his breakthrough season at Chelsea. The England midfielder scored 22 goals and made 11 assists during what was a disappointing campaign for his club, who finished sixth in the Premier League.
But the footballer’s performances on the pitch proved to be the big positive for his side.
The couple’s sweet moment while he proudly showed off his PFA Young Player of the Year award came after the pair were spotted on holiday together in Ibiza at the start of August following reports of their ‘growing friendship.’
Cole’s summer break gave him the chance to spend quality time with Connie, 22, after he scored in the Euros final against Spain, which England went on to lose 2-1.
A source previously told MailOnline: ‘Cole and Connie have grown increasingly close over the summer.
‘They were able to spend quality time together during Cole’s time off and their friendship has blossomed.
‘Cole even invited Connie to his game on Sunday, cementing their closeness and the trust between them.
‘They maybe young but their relationship is serious now and Cole wants Connie to be part of his world, on and off the pitch.’
Connie (pictured in London) is a nail technician but regularly travels, posting updates on her Instagram profile, which boasts over 17,000 followers despite having just 72 pictures
Cole regularly likes her uploads, including sultry bikini snaps from her idyllic holidays to Ibiza and Bali (pictured)
A source previously told MailOnline: ‘Cole and Connie (pictured) have grown increasingly close over the summer’
Meanwhile, Cole was interviewed on the red carpet on Tuesday night for a range of hilarious social media videos which were released on GQ’s TikTok page.
When asked whether he would rather score an own goal or be subbed off in the first half, the footballer said: ‘Own goal. When you get subbed in the first half, it’s bad. It just damages your reputation. It’s never happened to me touch wood.’
The interviewer went on to ask whether he would rather score a goal from the half way line or net a bicycle kick – to which Palmer responded: ‘That’s tough, I don’t know. I feel like a bicycle kick is harder. I can’t really do a bicycle. I can practice though.’
Earlier this month, England stars Cole and Kobbie Mainoo posed as cover stars for GQ’s magazine’s Men of the Year edition.
The publication said the edition aims to celebrate men who are ‘breaking the rules, changing the game, and taking their slice of the culture to another level’.
Palmer and Mainoo feature after the pair enjoyed stunning seasons at club level and played a role in England reaching the Euro 2024 final.
The pair were jointly interviewed by the magazine for the December issue, with the headline ‘Kobbie Mainoo & Cole Palmer Are Just Getting Started’.
The magazine highlighted Mainoo and Palmer as being two players who ‘grabbed the nation’s attention’ on England’s route to the Euro 2024 final.
On Tuesday night, the Chelsea midfielder, dressed sharply in a black suit and bowtie, attended the glamorous event at The Roof Gardens, with Connie, also from Manchester, who complemented Cole’s look in a sleek black dress that highlighted her toned midriff
Connie’s most recent picture was captioned: ‘Fur season’ and featured two photos of Grace posing at Stamford Bridge (pictured above)
It comes after the couple were spotted on holiday together in Ibiza at the start of August following reports of their ‘growing friendship’
Cole flew Connie to Ibiza via private jet in August, where they enjoyed a ‘quick trip’ together, dining out on the harbour where they shared a romantic candlelit meal
Mainoo and Palmer told GQ that the pair had become close friends during the tournament in Germany, despite starring for rival Premier League clubs.
Palmer made a stunning impact during his debut season at Chelsea after his summer move from Man City.
Despite his limited game time at Euro 2024, Palmer was last month named as England men’s player of the year.
Palmer has continued his stunning form this season for Chelsea by scoring seven goals in 13 matches, while Mainoo’s progress has been set back by injury.
The duo are expected to be a key part of new England manager Thomas Tuchel’s plans when he officially takes charge from January.
