New Blues keeper Alex Palmer says he’s looking forward to a new challenge at Portman Road having made a deadline day move from West Brom, where he had been since he was 14.

Town swooped for the 28-year-old as the transfer window closed having lost Christian Walton to a groin injury for a number of weeks and with Aro Muric struggling for form.

The Blues paid £2 million plus add-ons for the Kidderminster-born glovesman, who had spells on loan with his hometown club, Oldham, Notts County, Plymouth, Lincoln and Luton while with the Baggies.

“Hectic, but that’s football,” Palmer told TownTV when asked how he had found his deadline day. “I think it’s an exciting time for me to embrace a new challenge.

“Of course, when you spend that amount of time somewhere it’s obviously going to be a hard decision, but I felt it was the right time to try a new thing and take a new pathway. I think that’s all part of life.

“I’ve had a great time, I’ve met some great people at West Brom and I wish them all the best. I’m looking forward to a new challenge here.”

Reflecting on his new side, he added: “You see it as a club that’s going places and on a good trajectory and everything that I’ve heard about the manager is positive.

“Coming here and being part of a group that’s achieved a lot of things in a short space of time is really exciting.”

Palmer faced the Blues twice last season, Albion winning 2-0 at the Hawthorns in November 2023 before a pulsating 2-2 draw at Portman Road a year ago next week, Omari Hutchinson bagging a late leveller for Town.

“A great team,” the 6ft 3in tall keeper reflected. “They were both tough games. I think one of the highlights of last season was the game at Portman Road when it ended 2-2.

“The last 15 or 20 minutes was incredible, the atmosphere made by you guys was something to remember.

“I think we went away going, ‘Wow, that was some game’. It was a proper game of football and I think that’s a lasting memory I’ll have, and hopefully we’re going to have a few more of those.”

In 2023/24, Palmer jointly won the Championship Golden Glove keeping 18 clean sheets and this season has secured 11 shutouts in 30 league games.

“I’d like to say I’ve contributed to a difficult but successful period and it’s been great for me to eventually get there and become the number one at the club I was at for so long,” he added.

“I’ve had a good few years there, done my bit and ready for the next chapter.”

A former England U16s cap, Palmer played with Dara O’Shea and Conor Townsend during their spells with the Baggies.

“I know a few of the lads and heard good things about the rest of them, so it makes it a little bit easier for that transition,” he said.

“I’m sure I’ll speak to them a lot over the next few weeks and they they’ll help me settle in.”

He knows the challenge for the first few months of the three-and-a-half-year deal he has signed at Portman Road.

“I’ve come here with one aim, to keep us in the Premier League,” he continued. “That’s what I’ve come here to do and play a part and we’ll see where it goes.”

Outlining what type of keeper he is, he added: “I’d like to say I’m pretty solid, I’m vocal, I try and command my box and I think the defence will know I’m there. I think that’s what I’d say about myself.”

Having not featured for the Baggies in their 5-1 FA Cup third round exit at AFC Bournemouth, Palmer is available for Saturday’s fourth round tie at Coventry City, where he hopes he will make his Blues debut: “I’m fit and raring to go, the sooner the better really.”

Photo: ITFC/Matchday Images

cartman1972 added 09:48 - Feb 4 Excellent acquisition....shame he wasn't purchased in the summer
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EuanTown added 10:02 - Feb 4 I’ve come here with one aim, to keep us in the Premier League,”. For which we will be eternally grateful if you do.
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Suffolkboy added 10:36 - Feb 4 Sounds as if he likes to communicate - good it’ll make a real difference ! Best of luck ,enjoy ITFC and Portman Rd where you’ll get a warm welcome ! COYB
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IP9 added 12:25 - Feb 4 One of Muric's many faults was his complete lack of communication with the backline so it's a breath of fresh air to hear what he describes his strengths as! I'm excited to see him line up at Cov this Saturday.
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bringmeaKuqi added 12:34 - Feb 4 Completely agree IP9. Muric is a big presence but totally silent. I think a lot of the errors come down to communication.
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Leejames99 added 13:14 - Feb 4 Palmer in goal, he is an established number 1 who should be able to make step up, 11 clean sheets etc and a better pick than Walton and Muric at present so for me Palmer starts. Back 3 of Tunazabe on right O'Shea as Captain and Greaves on left Wing backs Ben Godfrey on right he is defensive and quick and can rotate with Tunazabe Left is interesting as I think Townsend has the experience and is more defensive than Davis but it will be Davis So those 5 so far can immediately go to a back five or push up In front of defensive id have and think we should have K Phillips as defensive mid to orchestrate defense to midfield and Enciso to orchestrate midfield to forwards on break Then 2 just inside of flanks who have pace and skill Phillogene left and Hutchinson right and with Enciso pushing forward at pace if they pass forward getting the ball to Delap should be constant. My only worry in that line up is Davis as he is great bombing forward but not as quick getting back and if we played as I suggest he wouldn't need to as much but he will be fine as long as he remembers defensive duties. I think that team looks like a good team with experience, pace and guile and the substitutions then are straightforward and like for like. Unfortunately Morsy needs to make way now for remainder of season. Its ridiculous having Phillips and Godfrey on bench and I think that Mckenna may have been a wee bit too sentimental to the league one players who have all had a chance but if we are to stay up we need to play the best players that we spent over 100 million on. Starting 11 Palmer Tunazabe O'Shea C Greaves Godfrey Davis Phillips Enciso Hutchinson Phillogene Delap Subs Muric or Slicker Burgess for defense Johnson for Godfrey Townsend for Davis Cajuste for Phillips Szmocicks for Enciso or Broadhead for Hutchinson J Clarke for Phillogene Hirst for Delap That's our 9 subs That looks like a good match day squad to me Phillips or Cajuste to start and sub who ever starts. So no Morsy, J Taylor, Woolf, Luongo, Walton, Chaplin. That's my team I'd love to see other people's it's a good debate to see who you would drop/start etc Mckenna hopefully Will go that way now. COYB

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Ebantiass added 13:22 - Feb 4 Welcome to our club ,hope you enjoy it and theres a real chance to make the number1 slot your own ,grab it with both hands .
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PutneyBlue added 13:28 - Feb 4 Sorry, but I've been away, so could somebody tell me why Morsy is suddenly the fans' favourite to be dropped?
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UhlenbeekDownTheWing added 13:36 - Feb 4 @leejames99 you could make an argument for those being the best 11 players, but as Enciso is a false 9/10 you are proposing a 5-1-3-1 formation, with the not exactly mobile Phillips on his own in CM…sounds awfully like suicide. I guess you could go on the basis we are overrun in midfield playing 2, so why not just sacrifice it…but that doesn’t feel like a recipe for success to me.

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Leejames99 added 13:54 - Feb 4 @ulhenbeekdownthewing It's a 3-3-1-3 if you 3 at back -2 wingback Phillips DM and Ensico AM so when we are defensive we go 5-2-3-1 and offensive we go 3-3-1-3 I see that as only formation to keep Davis in team as he plays so offensive otherwise I'd rest Davis for Townsend and play 4-2-1-3 and swap Godfery for Cajuste to play with Phillips but that then opens us up to bringing on Morsy or J Taylor which is where we then start losing points The other way the subs are like for like, same qualities etc so I like 3 at back with 2 wing backs 1 defensive mid one attack mid/10 and frontline What would your 11 be?

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Leejames99 added 14:05 - Feb 4 Formation numbers wrong sorry but you know what I mean. 3-2-2-3 that's it. Palmer Tunazabe O'Shea Greaves Davis LWB Godfery RWB Phillips DM or Cajuste Enciso AM Phillogene Hutchinson Delap Subs Slicker Burgess Johnson Townsend Cajuste or Phillips Broadhead J Clarke Szmodicks Hirst That's 9 subs I thinks that's most experienced and like for like squad with best qualities. Just my opinion Who would anyone not have/change? COYB

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Razor added 14:07 - Feb 4 Chaplin in for me all the time
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Leejames99 added 14:19 - Feb 4 @Razor Chaplin instead of who to play where? Instead of Enciso?
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sidewaysbackwards added 14:39 - Feb 4 No morsy?
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UhlenbeekDownTheWing added 14:50 - Feb 4 My team…ok probably something like this Palmer (Walton injured, Muric just isn’t working, Slicker is a huge unknown to me) Tuanzebe O’Shea Burgess (two reasons, the out ball to Davis is a huge asset and Burgess is great at it and Greaves doesn’t seem to have it in his locker as yet, Greaves’s better physical and defensive attributes are not stopping shots or goals) Davis (we need to use him more, get back to how we scored goals for last few seasons - release him for the cutback to the 10s) Phillips or Morsy (am indifferent. It’s not working so may as well change to Phillips) Cajuste (been our best player for 2 months, best engine of our CM options (albeit til he runs out of gas) Philogene (there are no good options for the right sided attacker with Burns and Ogbene out. Hutchinson is stuck in a rut and needs a reset imo. That leaves Johnson (who has been awful all season) or Philogene) Enciso (Chaplin and Szmodics aren’t fit, given my view on Hutchinson this is the only option…also seems tasty) Broadhead (one of the few to have some credit from the last month) Delap

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Cadiar added 15:00 - Feb 4 Welcome to the cess pit that so many questionable "supporters " have created. I've found so many a disgrace to our club, full of opinionated idiots who think they are better qualified than KM & his coaching staff. Today we have LeeJames telling us what the team selection should be, does he appear by magic daily at Playford Road? Good luck Alex because you are going to need a huge amount of it, more than one mistake and the numbskulls will make your life intolerable. Most of them suddenly appeared after we started playing football again after 22 years of utter rubbish so be prepared.

0

Edmundo added 15:16 - Feb 4 Will be great to have a loud character at the back. You've I'll be a Town legend in no time if your form continues into the Prem and keeps us up. COYB!
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UhlenbeekDownTheWing added 15:28 - Feb 4 Cadiar - pretty harsh on Leejames there. You are bringing more vitriol than Lee did imho. Putneyblue and sidewaysbackwards Morsy is in a really tough spot I feel. We’ve become more defensive, compact and deeper, so he has essentially no progressive pass options, nor any options more than 5yards. The compactness also means there are always 3 oppo on top f him as soon as we get the ball. He’s not Declan Rice or Rodri or even Tonali, so his ability to influence the game or tempo is seriously challenged. Is Morsy the problem? Not really (to me the problem is that we have tried to counteract the challenges of the PL by being more ‘solid’ and the trade off is it has negatively impacted our opportunities to do what we are good at and Morsy was integral to (move ball forward quickly into wide forward areas, pull back to centre 15-18 yards out for shot)), but he’s not likely the solution to the problem either.

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Leejames99 added 15:40 - Feb 4 Whoah hang on @cadiar don't be so rude, I just put my opinion about who I would pick etc to just start a nice conversation about what people think team should be now window is shut that's all, it's nothing to do with doing Mckennas job and it's better than just slating our goalkeeper and new signings constant. Are fans not welcome to join forum now unless they were around for the struggle seasons (which I was)? Just not a nessacary comment, I was not telling what team should be I was giving an opinion, and now you look daft for making out like you run the forum, you claim we played rubbish for 22 years so you are slating the players who got us out of league 1 and Championship yourself so if that's case it seems you will be the one who now supports Town because we are in the Prem and I wouldn't say we have played the best football in 22 years this season so..... and finally you left a nice aggressive comment for our new keeper, that's nice. From th. COYBe fans in the cesspit

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RealArnieM added 15:54 - Feb 4 Very good goalkeeper and a very good looking chap, yummy
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RealArnieMFanAccount added 15:58 - Feb 4 I agree, Handsome guy all round! And a good shot stopper too but you really have to question if Muric is being treated unfairly here, he is our number 1 after all!
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Jugsy added 16:04 - Feb 4 Glad to get Alex in, the ideal signing. Experienced at his craft, delivered to the highest standard in the competition he's been in and this is a platform for him to take a step up, plus we didn't break the bank. What annoys me is this is clear acknowledgment of Muric not being up to it. I would never boo a player and he's confidence looks shot, but this is where management earns it's crust. They backed him for too long and it's a large contributor to where we find ourselves. It's not the only reason but it's a decent chunk.

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ArnieM added 16:45 - Feb 4 Hopefully he'll settle in quickly and prive to be a solid acquisition. RealArnieM: thank you so much for your pm this afternoon informing me " I'm you". .... wonderful choice. They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. We shall see!
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Vanisleblue2 added 17:41 - Feb 4 For the cup I would go with Palmer, Godfrey, Townsend, Phillips, Morsy, O'Shea, Burgess, Encisco, Broadhead, Philogene, Delap Slicker, Tuanzebe, Greaves, Hirst, Cajuste, Hutchinson, Johnson, J. Clarke, Szmodics or Davis
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armchaircritic59 added 18:03 - Feb 4 Just as a matter of interest, it's interesting to read a few of you think Muric has a problem with communication. On the whoscored.com stats site, where they list an overall view of any significant strengths or weakenesses a player has, they have a significant weakness for AM as concentration. I wonder if the two are somehow linked?
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