A journalist has explained the ‘interesting’ reason why Liam Palmer has stayed at Sheffield Wednesday for so long.
Born in Worksop, Liam Palmer joined Sheffield Wednesday’s academy when he was seven years old.
The defender signed his first professional contract in 2010 and went onto make his senior debut in August of the same year.
It wasn’t long before he established himself as a regular for the Owls, helping them win promotion to the Championship on two occasions, as well as being named their Player of the Year for the 2013-14 and 2022-23 seasons – almost a decade apart.
Palmer was first named Sheffield Wednesday captain in 2020 and has been vital to the club ever since, remaining committed to the senior team for 14 years.
The 32-year-old has now worked under 12 managers since making his debut and has continuously worked his way into the starting line-up each year.
Palmer didn’t feature at all in Danny Rohl‘s first six games in charge, but has since returned to the side and has made a positive impact, even being pushed into midfield due to injuries.
With the veteran now approaching the end of his contract, there is little indication over whether he will extend his stay – despite some fans thinking he is past it.
The Star journalist Joe Crann has now addressed why Sheffield Wednesday have kept Palmer on for so long.
He wrote on X: “It’s interesting with Liam Palmer’s #SWFC career, because there have been a few times where he’s been left out and it looked like that could be that, but he always seems to get back in… His ability, his versatility, his availability all end up working in his favour eventually.”
He added: “Including interim managers, 15 different men in charge have chosen to start Palmer – including Alan Irvine who gave him his #SWFC debut in 2010. Some Wednesdayites don’t rate him, but every manager has used him in some way for over a decade now – there’s a reason for that.”
Will Liam Palmer extend his stay at Sheffield Wednesday?
Liam Palmer is far from the most talented player in the Sheffield Wednesday squad and is undeniably a level below the star he once was for the club.
However, his versatility, experience and leadership has proved vital in what has been a turbulent few years for the Owls.
The likes of Callum Paterson and Marvin Johnson are probably in the same boats, with the versatility of players becoming really important under Danny Rohl due to their long list of injuries, as well as the lack of finances to bring in more permanent additions to fix the lack of squad depth.
Liam Palmer’s future at Hillsborough may depend on which division the Owls end up in, but if he does leave then it will definitely be a huge shame. He may be missed when the team need a defender to play all over the pitch next season.