He signed on Transfer Deadline Day, but as soon as Kasey Palmer heard of Derby County’s interest he revealed that his head was immediately telling him that it was a move that he had to make.
The 21-year-old joined the Rams on a loan deal until the end of the campaign from Premier League champions Chelsea – following Cameron Jerome, from Norwich City, in completing a switch to Pride Park Stadium during the winter window.
The attacking midfielder, who was a serial winner in Chelsea’s youth set-up, is now excited to see how he fits into Gary Rowett’s plans for the remainder of the campaign and adds to the array of attacking quality already at the club.
“The first bits of talk about the move began a few days before Deadline Day and as soon as I heard about it, my head was telling me that I needed to come here,” Palmer told dcfc.co.uk.
“As soon as I heard of the interest I was on the internet doing my research on the club, the team and the players here.
“I watched the game the other night too and I’m intrigued to see how I can fit in and help this club achieve what it is setting out to do.
“The club is in a great position. It’s a big club, the facilities are superb, and the manager and team are doing some really good things here.
“This is a club that deserves to be in the Premier League. Everything is set for it to finally get back there and I hope I can add something to the group that will help them get over the line.”
He added: “As soon as I heard that this was a possibility, I was keen to get it over the line and as we all know Deadline Day is busy, is full of twists and turns, but I’m delighted to be here now.”
Despite his young age, Palmer has enjoyed plenty of success in his career.
After signing for Chelsea as an Under-16, he rose through the ranks to help the Blues’ Under-21s become league and European champions, whilst he also lifted the FA Youth Cup too.
On the international stage, he was part of the England Under-21 squad that won the prestigious Toulon Tournament in 2016, whilst arguably his greatest triumph came last term.
Palmer joined Huddersfield Town on a season-long loan and played a key role in the squad that, against all the odds, won promotion to the Premier League via the play-offs.
“I hope the experience that I gained last season at Huddersfield Town will benefit me,” he said. “Being part of their promotion on my first loan from Chelsea was a great experience.
“At Huddersfield, we were a very hard-working team. On paper, we weren’t viewed as the most talented squad, but we made up for that with our work ethic.
“That’s part of my game and if one thing is for certain, it’s that I will be bringing that to the table here. Hopefully, my talent will shine through too!”
