Legendary Sheffield Wednesday player Liam Palmer has expressed his desire to shatter the Owls’ all-time appearance record. Palmer’s contract with the team expires this summer. The right-back, who made 34 appearances and 25 starts, contributed significantly to the team’s 2023–24 Championship survival attempt. He also scored two goals and provided one assist. Danny Rohl’s team needed the 32-year-old’s goals this season. In April, he opened the score in a 1-1 draw with Stoke City, another team fighting for relegation, and on the last day of the season, he scored the game’s first goal as the Owls overcame Sunderland 2-0 to guarantee their place in the second division.
Palmer made his 434th appearance for the team against the Black Cats, and he scored a vital goal to cap up the 2023–2024 season in style.
The Scotland international is currently 112 appearances behind Wednesday’s record-holder, Andrew Wilson, who played for the Owls in an astounding 546 games.
The defender expressed his desire to end his career with the Owls in an interview with BBC Radio Sheffield. It is possible that he hinted at the possibility of a new deal being discussed at Hillsborough. “Looking at that all-time appearance record, it’s coming ever closer and closer,” Palmer stated. “I finished seventh in the final game of the season, so 112 more games and I’ll be right there at the top.
That’s something I’m thinking about in the background. “My goal would be to climb as high as I could on that list if I could make it into the top five the following season or something similar.” If Palmer stays at Hillsborough, he could surpass Don Megson’s 442 appearances as soon as the next season. Palmer is just 32 outings away from holding the fifth-highest appearance record for the Owls.
Although the full-back’s contract is about to end this summer, it is clear from his recent statement that he wants to continue in South Yorkshire because he is anxious to beat Wednesday’s appearance record. Consequently, we should anticipate that Palmer will sign new contracts at Hillsborough, and his performances in the 2023–2024 season demonstrate that he is a valuable member of the Owls even after making his League One debut in 2010–2011. The 32-year-old has represented Wednesday in the Championship and the third division, under different managers and in different eras. His valiant performances at the end of the 2023–2024 season suggest that he will be an important member of Rohl’s squad.
The Owls were at the bottom of the Championship league when Rohl took over as manager in October. Under Xisco Munoz, they had lost all ten of their season’s games. Wednesday appeared doomed previous to Rohl’s appointment, but the 35-year-old managed to navigate his club to safety as they finished in 20th position, three points clear of the relegation zone. The Hillsborough supporters will be thrilled by the idea of a complete season under Rohl’s direction, and keeping Palmer would be a good place to start when it comes to getting ready for the 2024–2025 season.
