Alex Palmer turned down Premier League Luton
Albion goalkeeper Alex Palmer has revealed he turned down a move to the Premier League with Luton this summer.
Top fight new-boys The Hatters approached Albion with a bid to Palmer a week before the Championship campaign. The Baggies, looking to sell players to balance books given their insecure financial state, gave the keeper permission for talks.
But Albion’s academy graduate shot-stopper, man of the match in his side’s 1-1 draw at Leeds on Friday night, emphasised his desire to reach the Premier League with the club he has represented since aged 14 after working for so long to achieve a place in the club’s starting ranks. Palmer, 27, said: “Every player wants to play in the Premier League, but for me it just wasn’t right. Being so long here and to achieve being number one now, it’s something that was too soon to leave, I want to achieve promotion and get us back to the Premier League, that’s my ultimate dream, to achieve that with West Brom.”
Asked if it was a tough decision, Palmer added: “It’s one of those ones, I’ve just got to make sure it’s not the last opportunity I get, I’ve got to keep working hard and ultimate aim is to play in the Premier League, ideally with West Bromwich Albion.”
Palmer made one spectacular save to deny Dan James from distance at Elland Road on Friday night.
The Kidderminster-born keeper spent the best part of a decade as a senior player working to climb the ladder in the goalkeeper department at The Hawthorns.
Two loans at hometown club Harriers and spells with Oldham, Notts County, Plymouth, Lincoln and Luton earned Palmer vital senior experience while Ben Foster, Sam Johnstone and David Button had Albion No.1 status – until Palmer ousted the struggling latter last October.
Palmer played an essential role in Albion’s transformation in fortunes under Carlos Corberan last season and only the automatic promotion-winning goalkeepers finished the season with better clean sheet per cent ratios in the Championship.
Palmer, who now heads a young Albion goalkeeper department featuring Josh Griffiths, 21, and Ted Cann, 22, added of interest: “It’s nice to be recognised, but it’s down to a lot of people behind the scenes, especially those I came up with.”
Corberan admitted in the wake of Luton’s late pre-season bid for Palmer that the move was an unsettling one so close to kick-off.
Palmer has a contract until 2026. Albion are still desperate to make sales to keep finances in check as best possible this summer. Fellow keeper Griffiths has courted interest this summer.
