Carlton Palmer had an England World Cup winner to thank for Sheffield Wednesday move

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Carlton Palmer is one of Sheffield Wednesday’s icons.

Palmer became a fan favourite for his incredible work rate and enjoyed the best years of his career at Hillsborough.

Although it wasn’t always perfect at the Owls, with Palmer revealing that Wednesday players had to settle disputes a number of different ways, the midfielder went on to win 18 caps for England while playing for the club.

His move to Wednesday came after he was sold by West Bromwich Albion in a bid to raise some funds and the move happened thanks to one hero from England’s 1966 World Cup winning squad.

Carlton Palmer reveals who helped him to secure Sheffield Wednesday move

At the time of the transfer, Palmer was 23 and tipped to be a future England star.

The likes of Chelsea came calling but following a conversation with World Cup winner Nobby Stiles, who was his youth coach at West Brom, convinced him to head to Wednesday.

Speaking to the Quickly Kevin, will he score? podcast in 2020, he said: “Nobby came in to see me and said ‘what are you thinking of doing?’ and I said ‘I don’t really know, London’s not really for me’.

“He said ‘well don’t even think about it, get yourself up the road, go with Sheffield Wednesday where Ron Atkinson is. I know they’re going to get relegated but you know the big man will sort that’. And that’s what I did.”

Carlton Palmer went on to become a Sheffield Wednesday legend

Stiles’ words of advice proved to be the right one for Palmer who ended up being signed by manager Ron Atkinson for a fee of £750,000 in 1989.

In his five years with the club, the midfielder went on to get a League Cup winners medal, even though he was suspended and made more than 200 appearances for the Owls.

After a successful period with the club, he then departed for nearby rivals Leeds United in 1994 before spells with Nottingham Forest, Coventry City and then loan spells with Watford and Stockport County.