Alex Palmer Joins Backgrounder

GOALKEEPER Alex Palmer joins Ryan Lowe’s Argyle in pursuit of the first-team experience that will help him fulfil his undeniable potential.

A graduate of the West Bromwich Albion Academy, Alex, 22, earned four caps for England at Under-16 level before signing professional terms and moving through the development ranks at the Hawthorns.

Impressing through the Under-18 and Under-23 programmes at West Brom, he appeared on the bench for the Baggies’ Premier League fixture against Arsenal as an 18-year-old in the tail-end of the 2014-15 season, before standing in for Boaz Myhill on the Hawthorns' bench for games against Burnley, Hull and Watford 15 months later.

Between those two experiences, Palmer joined National League outfit Kidderminster Harriers on loan, impressing during an 11-game stay at Aggborough. Upon returning to West Brom, Palmer nailed down a regular place in the Baggies’ Under-23 Premier League 2 side, and has kept 15 clean sheets in 53 appearances in that competition to date.

Such was his reputation with Kiddy, though, 191-centimetre tall Palmer returned for a second loan spell in 2017, making a further eight appearances for the Carpetmen.

In November of 2018, Palmer made his long-awaited first-team debut while serving as an emergency loanee at Oldham Athletic.

The game went well for Palmer, both from a personal and team perspective, as the Latics comfortably defeated Cambridge 3-1. Later that season, Palmer also made one solitary appearance as in similar circumstances, playing between the sticks for Notts County in an away defeat to Crewe in Sky Bet League Two.

Alex is sponsored by PADSA, the Plymouth Argyle Disabled Supporters Association, for Argyle supporters who are disabled or have additional needs and their carers.