Chris Palmer - who are ya?

Last updated : 15 May 2004 By Richard Brown

Name: Chris Palmer
Date of Birth: October 16, 1983
Height: 5"05

Position:
Left-sided defender/midfielder
Previous Clubs: Derby County, Hereford [Loan].

As the 2002/03 season drew to a close, Billy Dearden's Notts County foolishly were harbouring four senior, left-sided defenders on the books in the form of Ian Baraclough, Kevin Nicholson, Paul Riley and Richard Liburd. One year on, however, and, before Thursday, the club were threatening to have none. With Baraclough, Riley and Nicholson all ready to pack their bags and leave, Liburd having been released the previous year and a swoop for transfer target, Paul Boertien being very much out-of-the-question through injury. That was until Thursday, however.

For it was then when Chris Palmer, a 20-year old left-sided, Derby-born full-back became the latest addition to the Gary Mills' ever-changing squad.

As is the story with many of Mills' permanent additions, Palmer is a fairly untested figure, with just three first team games to his name - all of which came during a one-month loan spell at non-league, Hereford United. For it was at Edgar Street where the youngster gained a degree of know-how, where he played a three-game role in Hereford's play-off push as, with Palmer in the side, the Bulls went three unbeaten with a 2-2 and 3-3 draw against Morecambe and former-Magpies' Matt Redmile's side, Scarborough, respectively, before rounding-off his loan-spell with a 5-2 victory over Gravesend.

However, since returning from the West Country, Palmer has failed to claim a place in the first team on any occasion at Pride Park, although did earn a place on the bench against Norwich, prior to his release this week which leads to Mills swooping for the young defender.

Palmer will be under-contract at Meadow Lane until the close-season following the 2005/06 season.