“I was working as a roofer getting 4 hours of sleep” | Ollie Palmer Interview with Men in Blazers

Wrexham’s striker Ollie Palmer joins Rog to discuss his journey through multiple leagues and a dozen teams to land at Wrexham as the most expensive signing in the club’s history.

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And then up start think I’m [ __ ] I’m terrible and I was [ __ ] there because I was nervous I was a nervous wreck in training and in games I was made to feel like that by the changing room and the fans that’s the truth so I want to do

This Mansfield Town [ __ ] hole Grimsby Town great my guest today is a remarkable singular life force who’s almost decade and a half footballing career I’ve seen him progress through four tiers of the football pyramid from England’s South Coast to the East Midlands while seemingly playing for every team with

Shy at the end except the one tolkin wrote about at 6 foot5 it’d be a goalscoring threat even from the concession stand but his tenacity with the ball ability to create space without it those are what make him dangerous every single time he’s on the field

Since joining rexam in January 2022 on a club record transfer fee of $381,000 he scored 37 goals in 99 appearances in all competitions and was a crucial part of the Red Dragons long awaited cherished promotion from the national league to Mighty League 2 it’s also quite possibly the most handsome

Man surri has ever produced unless historians discover that Olivia was secretly born in Guilford it’s incredible to welcome Striker oh Shir model entrepreneur it’s Mr olle Palmer that is a long introduction thank you how are you it’s been a lot of life for

You there OE it has been a lot a lot of life and we are speaking at a momentous occasion we are with just a couple of days before the two-year anniversary of your Club record-breaking move to Micey rexam you came from League 1 AFC Wimbledon rexam then halfway through

Their 14th frustrating season in the National League then you the appointed manager Phil Parkinson hope that adding you would be a bit like giving Andy du a rockhammer and help the club escape from football’s fifth tier but since then rexam have only gone on a chief promotion to League two they’re

Currently third place two points off League leading Stockport as we speak and according to opta statistics Ole you’ve been photographed shirtless at least two dozen times along the way can you put into words how your life has changed over the past two years did he have any idea how much it

Would um I had a little idea just because of who the owners were and what what the manager was trying to achieve you know when we spoke before I signed for rexim um he told me about the football club the community and the passion so um yeah I had a small idea

That it would be a roller coaster but yeah probably not uh probably not as good as a roller coaster is what I imagined how much has it changed would you say from the inside it’s been incredible um you know I knew it’d be good but I didn’t know it’d be this good

And there’s been so many improvements at the football club you know um just just little things from the lunch meals that we used to have to what we have now the stadium um the obviously this new stand they put in behind the goal the medical team had put the new gym into the

Stadium so the club you know is trying to do everything right and then you’ve also got the other things that a lot people don’t know about I think before uh the youth team used to so the academy used to wear their kit they would have

To hand it back and kind of sharing and borrowing um but the owners actually bought the whole Academy um in each age group a kit each and it’s just things like that that people don’t know about where they’ve changed the infrastructure of the football club and the yeah

They’re running it like um a top level football club which is you know just as to everyone in this community who’s supporting it because it is it’s followed like a I’m going to say championship football club just because it’s limited about the size of the stadium but ultimately we followed like

A Premier League team you know the the AA support we’ve got his incredible um home in away um Full House week in week out and you know it’s only right the clubs run how it is and um yeah they’ve done an unbelievable job behind the scenes you know people like sha people

Like Flur um Humphrey so yeah it’s it’s a great place to actually go into work lunch meals before lunch meals now just give us just give us that snapshot when you said the meals were were then and the meals now microwaved Bowl cardboard box uh is that is that now or is

That it was a m you know I think it was a a re heated uh carbal box of food didn’t taste great um but again the club were trying to do things where you know um trying to give us the best food and bringing in food you know for the

Best money saving you know they I think they were trying to balance different ways of doing different things and kind of testing out different methods to now we’ve got a cheffing who cooks good food healthy meals um all your vegetables your meat fish you got breakfast I can’t

Remember if there was breakfast when I signed I think there was but it would have just been toast and things like that now you know you got your salmon your ham scrambled eggs fruit oats um so yeah the club have invested heavily in what’s going on behind the scenes and um

Oh I’d bite your arm off for a microwave cardboard box o palmer but in the first series of welcome to rexam your team coowner Rob mckel Henny he compared your arrival to quote WR the Irish guy in Braveheart as the character they introduce about halfway through the movie and it completely changes the

Trajectory of the whole thing you’ve started in 73 League games for rexam the mighty Red Dragons have only lost just a handful of times with you in the first 11 you play with the tenacity and desire of someone still trying to prove themselves at the beginning of their

Career with the physicality of a nightclub bouncer trying to stop someone from jumping over that Velvet Rope have you always been that kind of player or is it somethingone that you’ve grown into or that you’ve turned yourself into have you always been this descriptive I I think everybody says

That about you you are doesn’t everyone say get back that Velvet Rope you little bastard it’s um as things comeing here it’s been an absolute pleasure to to to represent this football club and you you know it’s not just me I think everyone’s fallen in love with with everything

That’s going on here you know the fans it’s not just the fans because I’ve been in big stadiums where it’s quiet it’s the passion and the commitment and the support and um you know the the Gaff has obviously gone and signed up you know plenty of players

Since he arrived and I think he done his homework on um I’ve said it many times but he does his homework on people first you know go Phil Parkinson yeah Phil Parks he goes on people before talent and um it’s just about getting the right characters in and yeah it’s been pretty

Easy to fit into this changing room and that goes for you know anyone else that’s walked in the last year you know your ediot Le your Steven Fletchers James mcleans um arur ENG go um Jordan tiny Cliff anyone who comes into the dressing room you know they’re made to

Be very welcome and to not get to not fit in this dressing room you’ve got to be a bit of a dick um so yeah it’s a great place to go to work I feel privileged to go in to you know to go in and train with rexim every

Day and um obviously play for him on a Saturday and a Tuesday so it’s yeah no it is I I do I know I keep repeating it but I do love being here and I can I want to try I want to try and spend as

Many long years as I can here because um I do really enjoy and it’s it’s just being with the lads The Lads are great I want to talk about I also want to know in another conversation how much of a being a dick is a bit of a dick I’m now

Like stressed to to f on this one but ol we got to mention football to beir I think some people some people might say I was one of [Laughter] them there’s none in our dressing room there’s none in our dressing room and everyone’s together it doesn’t matter if

I’m out injured at the moment but it doesn’t matter if you’re injured if you’re out the squad if you’re you know just out of form there’s such a togetherness where I’ve been in other dressing rooms where it just gets a little bit acidic and people either

Don’t care or don’t want the team to win or don’t want but it’s not L that here everyone wants the absolute best whether it’s on the field or off the field whether it’s you know scoring a goal or someone doing something productive for a Char outside people just help we help

Each other and uh I feel like that shows on the pitch shows everywhere honestly I mean you talk about the characters and we got to mention this again to anyone who spent more than 50 minutes on social media it it seems like pretty much the moment rexam landed in Las Vegas to

Celebrate winning the naal League to celebrate reaching League 2 finally after that just Exile of you know 15 years out of it I think you in customs maybe you hadn’t even cleared Customs but Ole Palmer you lost your shirt and you didn’t find it again I think until

The first match of the season is that true what’s all the topless I don’t get the topl when I mean is that because of Mr Reynolds always telling me I’ve got my shirt up he loves a big sweaty CLE can’t say he loves a big sweaty

Cattle be fair I think Rob mad has got a better body and probably Ryan now has been filming de than most of the lads anyway so they got to worry about us having our tops off you mened Roman Reynolds on the show constantly insists that you quote put a

Shirt on before talking to his his wife Blake Lively um and in an interview over the summer Rob and Ryan described you as the player who most enjoyed being on camera which was the I mean I think the ulate compliment Al olle how do you do

It how do you make being on screen in a wildly popular television show look so bloody it you make it look easy you make it look like you are always just savoring every second no I think it’s just being authentic and just being yourself all the time um few years ago

Four or five years ago I remember having a conversation with my dad and why is everything so generic why are you being so playing face why can’t you just be yourself and I was saying to my double foots don’t really do that if you show too much personality maybe you’re

Flamboyant or maybe you’re not interested in football or maybe you’re not you know you don’t care about the result or maybe you’re trying to make about you but I feel like as the years have gone on and from especially you know from when I was at wimon I really

Kind of grow into myself in the changing room there because I love my time at won I feel like it’s important to actually have a personality and be yourself and don’t kind of show away and be this robot in front in front of the camera and that’s talking about press that’s

Doing interviews postgame pregame and just being yourself um and if people don’t like you for that then that’s absolutely fine but I feel like there’s a lot of lads in there now that you know are themselves and that you know what you see is what you get on camera um and

Some people don’t like being in front of the camera which is absolutely fine because that’s who they are they don’t want they don’t want to be in front of the camera you know if they’re being filmed maybe they’ll go a little bit quiet more reserved that’s who they are

That’s absolutely fine but you know there’s myself or there’s plenty of other Lads as well that don’t go shy when the camera comes out so um it’s just about being you know like I said authentic and and and just being yourself and yeah I’m not I’m not

Bothered if the camera is there or not I just like to have a bit of a laugh with the lads so you know you’re talking about what you’ve learned along the steps of your career and Ollie Palmer just the the steps of your career are fascinating the origins of your career

Are fascinating I need to speak to you more you’re so kind Ollie this is all this is by the way just to be candid this is all true let’s start with this one you were the rare late Comer to professional football you didn’t work your way to a club’s use

System you weren’t you weren’t in an academy as a highly touted 10y old done your homework you really done your homework yeah so I you you said quote I’d never set for in a professional football club until I was 20 which is amazing first how did it happen why you

Find that well in in your in your forthcoming autobiography I never wear a shirt by time do do one of those because your life’s incredible but how how did it happen how did it happen that you realized that you had skills a very particular set of skills

To put the ball in the back of the net that could that could do more than just play with you you know playing on a field with your M I don’t think I did know I don’t think I did know I just had like a real love and passion for playing football

Um I I always wanted to be a professional footballer and I think getting to 16 and just playing week in week out with your local team being the best local team as well it wasn’t just like you know we were beating everyone in in in the county and stuff like that

And then we had team players in our team that were going in and out ofies and then representing the county when I was 15 16 traveling around England um playing other counties um that was pretty cool but again that’s still Grassroots stuff right um and then it

Was probably from 16 to about 19 where wasn’t actually my mom or my dad it was my it was my grandparents actually mainly my granddad who would come down on me really hard family barbecues Christmas birthdays whenever we’re together you’ve got to get a job you’ve

Got to stop living in la la land you know you’re not going to be a professional footballer and you know that’s his era and that’s fine I love him because actually it did Drive me to go on and try and prove him wrong and he

He wanted the best of me he didn’t want me to dream of becoming a professional footballer and then falling flat on my ass and having absolutely nothing because I wasn’t the brightest spark at school right so it was what are you going to do with your life so I then

Went into um a Academy scheme again it was still non- league but it was for 16 to 18 year olds and it was for a team called is working football club they had a college scheme so I then went to college three days a week and trained

Every day um but the main thing that my parents my family were happy about is that I was now going to college so I was studying again I never even [ __ ] turn up I actually caught up with a few friends I caught up with a few friends

From college um who I haven’t seen for years two lovely Lads they came up to Rex and made a weekend and it was so great to see them after about 12 years and um and that’s what that’s that’s what this has done this has brought me back in touch with like real genuine

Friends and um again so I was you know going to it’s amazing it’s amazing on one hand you’re like it made my parents proud I was finally in college I never [ __ ] went um but you were all I just wasn’t [ __ ] I wasn’t interested not interested you’re

You’re at woking hav and water louville you’re also working full-time in construction as a roof I was doing roof actually to be fair I’m just doing extension now and I said said to my wife that obviously we’re getting a roof and she’s like didn’t you say used to be a

Rofer could you not do get up there make your useful a year probably got Saed about a year and a half yeah but you’re doing day long sh this how you’re doing day long shifts you’re jumping on the tree you know what this is one thing I will

Say and I will you know actually give myself a pat on the back if I if I’m being honest right I was getting up at five I know you hear about his story but I was genuinely getting up at 5 I was doing a roofing job till three I didn’t

Drive so then I would then have to get the train do you know what it wasn’t even when I was playing for woken cuz that wasn’t too bad that took me about an hour to get in yeah was having water louville no do you know what before that

I went on loan from woken to a team set Auburn and Bor wood on the other side of London so I’d be Roofing from 5: till about 3 and then I was getting like the Train the tube the train then I was actually getting to training at boring

Wood or St Auburn E or both of them not too far away from each other then I was getting the train home and getting in you know making the last train I was getting in at like 12 and then getting up again and going back on the roof at

Five like that was that was a tough time but I just love playing football but and I was being that’s what I wanted to know Ollie what are you thinking on those long train rides and imagine you with your hood tied tight it’s midnight other people hammered having a great time

Going clubbing you just getting home getting a couple of hours getting back on the roof getting back into training back on that trade what did you think was possible were you having a laugh or was there a big goal that kept you going day after day I was I was 18

19 and you got loads of energy at that age you know it wasn’t like you know got loads of energy you do all night is at that age don’t you like it’s not a problem so I had lots of energy and I love football and I was making money

Roofing so I had other jobs I worked for my cousins a vent company um up in Ken and I was just doing any job that I could land I could enjoy and working you know I I would do it and then and then yeah so that loan to Boron wood paid off

Where we played against hav and what Louisville and they said who’s the kid and they said oh we got him on loan from woken and I just got told a week later I like you’re going to H and water louville we got a little bidding two grand like [ __ ] nothing right I think

It’s just to clear clear some paperwork probably uh um so I then went there and then just kind of never looked back I then had a new football club and I was playing first in football still non league but I just started scoring goals the manager Lee Bradbury um I wouldn’t

Have been a to do about him you always need someone in your corner you need someone that um believes in you and I had a man called Lee brury who was the manager of havon w louville who did everything for me and he worried about how I got to work he wored about

How I got to you know how I got home from training did I have a d from Roofing sometimes on a Wednesday coming oie we’ll do one on ones we’ll get we’ll do we’ll get I’ll get some other younger Lads in we’ll do like a four or five of

You training right and I’m like yeah of course on there and he just wanted the best for me and I played and I scored I got a new deal I then played the full next season and then I you know got all them I got like the Golden Boot for the

League and um player of the season for the league and whatnot in the conference South and then I just had clubs come in professional football clubs and I remember when I signed my first deal I just I was elated and it all took off from there that one gentleman believing

In you you know this kinetic career ensued stops at went downhill first and then it went back so I’ve gone like that I’ve got there to Mansfield [ __ ] hated every minute of it hated play there hated living there gri gri hated it I thought what is what is this this is not

I’ve dreamed bear in mind what I just told you I’ve dreamed about this moment right I’ve got there changing room you know what i s spoke about acid people [ __ ] plenty of them in there fans moaning like and then honestly gone there hated it and then I’m start speak I’m [ __ ] I’m

Terrible and I was [ __ ] there because I was nervous I was a nervous wreck in training and in games I was made to feel like that by the changing room and the fans that’s the truth I want to do this Mansfield Town [ __ ] hole Grimsby Town great loved it passionate fans gone on

Loan and they support and do you know what they got behind me they’ve probably got this league to failure who is not who’s now not played in the conference I’m not played in the conference because I’ve skipped it from the conference out I don’t know how this is going to go

They’re going for promotion again Paul Hurst in my corner look you’re going to come here we believe in you confidence changing room great group of lads still in contact with some of them now fans similar to rexon traveling numbers get behind the team um I went there and I

Think I scored like I only played 16 games but I think I scored like eight or 10 goals um and then had a playoff final and and fortunately lost on penalties and then that’s when I got away so I then had it on that period you’re everywhere Mansville Town Grimsby town

Let you know and you actually love two years sorry went to let for two years off the back of that griby loan you you went you went on loan to Luton Town January 27th yeah you got to be fair to me there though when you weren’t

Getting paid so a lot of people were leaving the chairman was a lunatic and um you know he locked in a hotel for a week and uh refused to pay the team from January like we we got win that we weren’t being paid December didn’t get

Pay so I’m like well [ __ ] this everyone else is leaving they’re literally playing the youth team uh you so you got locked in a hotel for a week yeah one of the lads actually had a baby at the time and he wouldn’t let him leave it’s quite

Sad really I don’t know why this I do talk about football and football being a little bit medieval times and it’s not really up I mean if there was HR in football I think a lot of people would get sack to be [Laughter] honest way listeners you talk about the

Man of football the dreams of the propelling young goly Palmer you have lived it up I mean you lived up Luton Town then in League 2 since been triple promoted obviously making a return to the Premier League this season which which must make Rex’s dream seem very very

Real you take inspiration from that you do because Len was a great football club again great set of fans and they were on the up yeah I mean at their Stadium like Rex’s own Stoke kiras like which can be the most threatening thing in Wales

Since r d on a bad day but kennworth road that little hat box of a stadium generating just a just an insane atmosphere You’ve Been Everywhere I mean you’ve been every level you’ve been all over the nation as players how aware are you of the crowd home and away you know what’s

The most entertaining or surprising thing you’ve ever heard shouted from the stands at you all I’m not repeating it on air now it getting cancelled another man Town [ __ ] hole but you can’t tell us what was said from the stands yeah well I hate that yeah that I

Think you get a lot of abuse from fans don’t you but I think you like you got to embrace it and enjoy it you know as long as you’ve got a good set of fans behind you it doesn’t matter what the you know the opposition of fans are

Saying you know I get abused every week I get abused every single week and um yeah I enjoy it to be honest quite enjoy it so that that’s not a problem I feel like for me if you just just got a good set of fans behind you anything’s

Possible and you know I say this with the utmost respect to other clubs and I’m just trying to think of fan like clubs that don’t have a a huge following with the utmost respect but um you see like maybe a non League like Boren wood

Or um like a willstone I mean that was respect if if Ryan and Robert gone in there and um took a football club over then it I I wouldn’t have been the same as what they’ve done here at rexen it wouldn’t have been possible because you don’t have that support that back in

The the The Fanatic football fans and you have to have that that’s key and everyone learned that in lockdown when there was no fans in football was crap every single game was crap and it just showed down Paul and fans were from Lincoln you joined Crawley town then

August 2020 you signed with League one side AFC Wimbledon really a beautiful life moment you gr grandfather Tony Wright spent four seasons with the old Wimbledon in the late 1950s and when you were a kid imagine a little a little Ole Palmer with with child siiz tattoos

Wimbledon was the club you supported but counting non- League sides and the clubs you’re on with on loan AFC Wimbledon incredibly the 11th team you made an appearance for uh inside a decade oie H how does that become shuttling between locker rooms Club cultures you see you

See a lot of life you know you’ve taken the long road what have you learned from always moving fighting proving yourself having to perpetually fit in and hit the ground running maybe feel I’m homeless um no I think um you at this level right at anything below League one League one

League two and Below people move around you’re normally looking at two three years Max at a club and you move on um very rarely the players stay at clubs for 5 six it’s not the Premier League you’re not getting multi-million pound deals for six seven years or it’s it’s very very common to

To move around I feel very fortunate to have done that to experienced so many parts of the country you know to live in Lincoln such a beautiful place to live in eex that was such an amazing time for me as well um playing for orent and

Luton I love living in in Essex um Manfield not so much but then coming home and then coming home um yeah and signing for won was was was a great moment for me you know they were back at back at pal Lane it was a great moment for my

Family family friends and it was super super proud moment unfortunately I got injured in my first season and it ended up being a really tough time I missed the first I missed like I missed the first 30 30 games I think I came back for like the last 10 or 11 games

Um which you know which was great and then obviously this the second season I was only there for half a season because ended up leaving to come to rexim so I never thought I was going to leave won I thought that was me there for like five

Six years that’s what I wanted at the time um but unfortunately you know for me they wanted a younger philosophy at that football club they wanted to sign really young you know like 18 19 20 year olds and that’s fine that’s what they wanted to do at the time and made it

Quite an easy decision for me to come to re we do have to touch upon something you’ve said because you talked about the injuries um and you are you know your body your body has been your everything and anyone that watches you knows that you are what is apparently I think

Scientifically it’s a scientific term you are a physical specimen um and it hasn’t always been a straight line you mentioned the injury you had a surgery on your hip in the in the summer of 2020 and early 2021 on your 29th birthday you you you posted on Instagram um side by

Side images that showed how you looked immediately after your surgery which was which was a bit like me and and you highlighted the long road you had to get yourself back to to to six-pack match Fitness you wrote really beautifully a mixture of mistakes complications Corona virus lockdown and feeling sorry for

Myself led me to a dark place Ian it was a really Brave and candid admission Ole what prompted you to speak so honestly about your struggles because it was incredible I think again just going back to what I said earlier about being authentic and I don’t I feel like you

Know you got to be careful you don’t want to kind of open up too much and and let everyone into your private life and still quite a private person but I still want to try and help other people and if people are going through the same things

I feel like when you speak on something you might help someone and um that was a really tough time you know I nearly retired I I genuinely remember being at home with my wife and crying and saying I cannot get back fit and there was some mistakes at

Cwy that happened and then we were in lockdown and then I went to Wimbledon they wanted me I think C you know a lot of stuff went on behind the scenes which I’m not going to go into and because they’re good people there but it was just a few mistakes happened

And um differences of opinions and how they wanted me they wanted me to do something that I wasn’t comfortable with doing um and then signing for Wimbledon um and having the surgery technically failing the medic cuz I just had surgery but W wanted to sign me so

You know very gratefully signed me and um then I broke down from that moment so it was postsurgery where I then tore my wck f which led into my soas tendon through my hip and I went to see the best Specialists you know over the course of the Year people like James

Moore in London um Dr cougar in in Barcelona who eventually did actually get me back where I was at the point where I was at home crying said I can’t get back I couldn’t even sit down and lift up my leg for a year of just rehab

And I’m you know we we’ve got great you know medical staff working you know at these at these lower league clubs and I went to see outside help and I just couldn’t I couldn’t sit down on the floor and lift up my leg so I couldn’t

Get any power through my leg and no one knew no one knew what the hell was going on and um yeah I needed I needed to retire it was a tough time and then with Co being at home not training feeling s of yourself eating drinking and got out

And then yeah Dr coug in SPO I still um see Nows to keep on top of it because I wouldn’t ever want it to come back but um I then got back in shape and and work my you know work my nuts off to get back into a position where I could still

Represent there goes my basketball I put that up there just for you guys I’ll be honest um the American audience only that’s amazing stay That so um yeah oh for [ __ ] sake so yeah no I was in a bad place but I man to get back fit and then um yeah not really look back start this well with W done everything was going well we were kind of in the playoff

Spots and things were going well and you know played away at the Emirates against Arsenal in the cup and um all all you know great fun everything going well left and then January 2022 11 months after Rob and Ryan had taking over as Rex’s new owners the club paid a record setting

$381,000 to bring you in from Wimbledon I love this about you even after signing your contract and agreeing to join Rex you’re still played the full 90 minutes for one final game for Wimbledon research of course you scored the opening goal in a draw with Burton Albi

And you said that leaving Wimbledon this club your grandfather played for the club you watched with your dad that you supported as a kid you said it was quote the hardest decision you’ve had in football but what did you know about rexim at the time what were you hoping

For in your heart that would make it worth this emotionally challenging move I didn’t know a lot I said I hadn’t really played in the conference I had played in the conference South and then I’d missed the conference going into League 2 so I didn’t really know a lot

About Rick and I did know a lot about their history um and yeah I spoke to Phil Parkinson with the permission of the football club you know the manag going on touching on that the the wom manager at the time didn’t know that everything had been agreed and

I’ve got a call on Friday to say everything’s agreed you’re going to Rex some and I I went and told the manager it was me who told told the manager he was like what and I he said will you still play tomorrow I said yeah well and all the

Lads thought I was crazy because um I’m risking my whole contract on on one game but it was just the respect I had for the football club and the manager I would have loved to have gone out on a win um but yeah we that wasn’t to be but

I was genu I was a little bit um little few watery I’m a little bit of an emotional guy but I had a few little watery eyes to be fair after that game and um spent the whole Road home from buron sat with the manager on the coach

And he was trying to talk me out of it but um I at that point made up my mind and uh everything had been agreed and I didn’t feel like um from the negotiations at the start I wasn’t too valued at at won where they didn’t want

To give me well I only asked them to match you know another two years to my deal and they didn’t want to do that so I said fine and then I spoke to Phil and he with with the club’s permission everything being greed I spoke to Phil

And he just said look tell me about the history of the football club European football club I didn’t know that before I you know just before I signed told me about the fan base the the traveling support packed out Stadium the the project where the club was going and I

Believed every word and um at that point I still hadn’t spoken to the owners but you know the gaffer here has got an unbelievable track record of promotions and and even get to you know doing really well in um caribo cups and Fa cups so um I just kind of was sat on

Every word really and and my mind was made up and then I don’t regret it I’m even happier now it’s just such a shame it’s so far away from my home but apart from that it’s it’s a bit of a long commute for me from time to time but um

From mighty mighty Epsom where you commute but it’s not stopped you because you made your exom debut against grimby town of course you went and scored the only goal in a 1-nil win against one of your former teams those 16 appearances for Grimsby in 2014 quick one can we get

A ruling did you celebrate yeah I did but you know why I got I get abuse off off the grimy support now I don’t know why so I did celebrate game this is what’s amazing about you you hadn’t had the opportunity to train or even to meet your new

Teammates I hadn’t met anyone I watch you’d only learn their names cuz you looked them all up online and you since forged a real partnership with Mery side born goal machine super poor Mullen possibly the best romance since johow T you seem to have immediately formed an off- the Fai friendship occasionally you

Meet for males you comment on his breakfast orders by the way I can’t believe Paul Mullen a scouter has an avocado sandwich for breakfast either but how does that relationship off field factor into how you work together on the pitch yeah we’re little bit like talking

Cheese now I’m a London a fer and uh but I feel I feel like it kind of adds to our relationship and we we got on great and um it’s been great to have that partnership with him for the last two years you know I feel like it’s you know

It’s well well together people think we work on things you know together we don’t we just go out there and play we just go out there and play obviously the manager does his team his team shape and and tactical but me and Moes ourselves we just just give each other a high five

And go out and do what we need to do is that true it’s like if you guys don’t know what you’re going to do there’s no way the opposition does either just works you know it’s been great it’s been great fun and you know I’ve Loved I’ve

Loved partnering out with him and as you know there’s plenty of good Strikers at the club as well Sam Doby is a fantastic young Talent we got Steven Fletcher who got hatrick last week who’s you know incredible pedigree and again all of them great guys so um can you tell us

Something we don’t know about super Paul mullet can I tell you something you don’t know yeah that surprises well if you don’t know he probably wouldn’t want you to know it so he’s not listening H he’s a Tory at heart oh my God oh my God now we are gonna find out

If he’s listening for sure by the way during Rex’s National League winning season you and Paul combin an incredible 62 goals old competition you like the Welsh bash Brothers last April rexam seal promotion the national league title with a 3-1 win over Bor and wood and 15 years worth of

Demons exercised manager Phil Parkinson soaked in champagne singing championz in that dressing room you live streamed yourself sitting in the trunk of your own car shouting who’s coming to the efl do you remember anything about that what that that what’s your abiding memory of that trunk moment well I I had because

We all had a few friends and family of us so I had my two two of my best mates and we were like getting into town and car pulled over just to say congratulations I said because you give us to lift into town I said the car’s

Full I said open the boot so I got it up start filming it and I was filming my mate running trying to catch up of us he didn’t want to get left behind because he probably knew once I was in the club I’ll be off and we we’ll be singing and

Dancing so um yeah no just just a funny moment off the cuff but um what’s your enduring memory just the final whistle going on the fans just steing on the pitch and then and then after the game seeing my family you know who I sacrificed so much

Time with because I’m I’m up here so much and um working away and being so far from home so it it was a real mixture of emotions and you know I didn’t risking a thing by coming here but I I let I what’s the word I I took I

Took a chance I took a gamble I I didn’t know what it was going to be like you know I hadn’t didn’t know anyone that was in the dressing room I couldn’t speak to anyone it was just kind of going off what the manager told me and

Um and it paid off you know sometimes you got to take a little gamble with life and I’m I’m happier now more than ever and I have been since I W through the door it’s been a great dressing room it’s still a great dressing room and

It’s a great football club and I just love it I’m just enjoying it I just wish it was I take an hour and a half closer to London that would be a bit better but what’s it feel like for you olle after all this time as a as a

Traveling Striker to have not just found a home but a home where you mean so much to so many people yeah no of course it all makes it worth worthwhile really um I we were talking about buying like a house up in in North Wales just even as

Like a holiday home so in 10 years time we can still come back here because we do love it up it know that we always stay in mold um we stay mold quite often now um and you can get into beautiful places like Lang gothland and um some

Real scenic areas and you know just even just going out for dinner in Rex and you know go to some of the nice restaurants you know they’ve got a good Carnival restaurant and um it it’s just things like that where you just made it feel so

Well I love I love being up here I love being around here and it’s um but it’s hard because obviously my family are at home and um I’m not you know in this industry as you’ve made it very clear about being on the road a lot and moving

Clubs you never really know how it’s going to go and you know the first year okay we’re not going to move up let’s see how it goes and then it’s like well do we pull the kids out of school and then I have a year and then it might not

Go well or what if you know we put them at school and then then we end up moving away again and they’re at school and they’re settled so it was just a joint decision just to say stay at home I’ll commute I’ll stay up in the week come up

On a Monday I go back on a Tuesday I’m at home on a Tuesday night and a Wednesday come back up on a Thursday Wednesday night or a Thursday and then I train on a Thursday stay up Friday stay up play the game on the Saturday and I’m at home on the Saturday

Night and the Sunday it doesn’t matter where we are on a Tuesday night whatever game um I’m I’m getting back to my family on the Tuesday night you’ve talked about the lads the locker room The Joy we’ve got to quickly ask you neither of your teammates Captain benoza

Came on this show told us that he consistently be po yeah said he consistently beats you at pool he said quote you were giving it the big one during rexam US tour during the summer about your table Ben’s never be me at po I’ll get you a I’ll give you some live

Footage of that yes I need this because by the way I’m only asking you because we we we’re invested we are serious journalists here as you’ve noticed o p and he said he rinsed you at ping pong table tennis too again this is not true right

Theel let me tell you because he goty out there table tennis batters him repeatedly battered him match after match after match after match I then stopped right a couple days of just abused him on the table ten table then I’ve stopped and we’ve gone to a new

Hotel outside outside wether you know it different different bats different circumstances he had the wind the way he plays [ __ ] bats and he was playing repeatedly and I wasn’t so he then got good and started beating me Bea me a couple games in a row and he wouldn’t

Let me live it down but he knows get me indoors proper bats fresh off fresh off fresh off breakfast no yes he’s having like 15 games warm up before I step on the table not interested not interested this is the show this is the the show within the

Show my question was was it as one-sided as Ben remembers you you have a different you kidding me it’s not one-sided I smoked him game after game the first like 15 games I don’t he got over 10 points and then I took my foot off the gas different what’s the word different

When what’s the no the different climate different climate yeah is not the word but I’m playing a different environment with [ __ ] backs outside he’s playing every minute of every day yeah and then he started beating me but listen everyone know this is the closest this show’s got to World Wrestling Federation this is

Like where you rip off your shirt and say TOA TOA I’ll take you anywhere any day any bat [ __ ] bats um but I want to talk about something more Joyful We got to put those out side by side by the way I just genuinely am lost I’m just the

Middleman in this one um but just over a year ago I mean this is amazing you’re peretic you’re wandering around you you’re like shooting up and down between your family and your Club between rexam you also have time to do I mean to just beyond incredible you set up a clothing

Brand wxm clothing you launched in Partnership this is amazing Aaron be host who you happened to meet while you were looking for a temporary place to stay in Rex I I can’t I can’t I can’t get them to give me a late checkout but you start businesses with them how did

This even start my business partner on my Airbnb host and never meltdown he’s got a family friend now so yeah it was just it was it was a you know I I was looking for a place to stay more permanently up here and end up putting

On my my private social media just say does anyone know anyone in the rexim area where with a with an Airbnb available like a like a lodge outside um an IT type thing and I got a builder so the guy who was potentially going to do my extension at

Home said I do know someone up there he’s from this area he’s got a ouse converted his garage right so I was like perfect I’ll turn up there by the way the ouse garage is his [ __ ] office which I’m setting right now so guess what I’m actually in the house so when

I’ve turn up knocking on the door and I’m like saying hi I don’t really know anything about them they’re like come in they’re showing me arounds they show me the lounge the dining room the kitchen and like cool cool cool and then I’m thinking I’m not going to be in there

Anyway and then they like go upstairs show me the kids’ rooms and the bathroom I’m like okay cool I get it this is our room they’re like this is our room this is your room I was like what I that’s not going to I’m like What’s the micone

Next to I’m think [ __ ] it now I’m thinking no I’m thinking it’s not going to work and then so man united were playing so that I’ve Got Another Place book that night another Airbnb book that night so then I’m join a cup of tea I’m like yeah of

Course I have a coup of te they tell me and they tell me that they go to Rex some games I’m like oh [ __ ] I didn’t really want to stay with fat like you go wck wanted to kind of separate the two and then um then like to watch man

Nighted I’m like yeah yeah I’m a Man nighted Fan so like we’ll put man nighted on and Charlotte his wife’s cooking the roast and she’s like you might as well stay for the roast and I’m like [ __ ] I was like yeah go I’m I’m hungry for the roast I’m like right I’m

Going to and they’re like you might as well just stay like and I’m like you’re [ __ ] not wrong it’s like half eight so never left never left so literally that was like a March April 2022 and I’m still here now part of the family in the house

Amazing people I can’t tell you how nice these people are and what they’ve done for me and what they do for anyone my business partner this is this is amazing this foundational story it’s almost up there with the Nike foundational Story the Phil Knight um the finding swoo

Because we should say based on yeah Ole prom does ole Palmer stay for the roast Ole Palmer stays for the roast out of that has come a athletic brand about brand right always be selling goly you’ve you’ve already sold this is incredible over 80,000 pieces big chunky El 80 I’m not

Bloody Nike we’ve done we’ve had we’ve done 10,000 orders in a year which has been good but bad it’s been hard to C okay let’s say 80 let’s round it up to 880,000 Ole but a huge chunk of your latest collection already sold out because I tried to buy some I mean out

Of this you’ve sold over over 10,000 orders big chunk of your your your your latest collection is already sold out what what’s it been for you this experience this learning curve starting a business and what what are you learning from this moment I’m learning a lot I’m learning about advertisement I’m

Learning about meta I’m learning about e-commerce I’m learning about clothing products customer service because I think a lot of people think we’re a Big Brand because of what we’re doing there’s two of us and I think people think I’ve just put my face to a name

And I’ve not it’s you know it’s been a real Whirlwind and it was it was actually Darren’s idea he come up with the idea of doing a bit of a gimmicky or let’s do a Ole Palmer t-shirt or let’s do Paul mullet t-shirt or Ed hoodie and

I’m just like NE no that no no no but I’m quite interested in doing a clothing brand let’s talk about it and Darren’s got a lot of experience in graphic design and e-commerce so over months and months and months we kind of started drawing and building this brand and this

Name and we come out with wxm clothing and you know to be fair had a lot of support people like Ryan and Rob have obviously been a huge support um colleagues and Friends um it’s been an amazing experience to actually use my time wisely up here so

Of just sitting at home sitting up here and and just maybe playing golf or sat watching TV I’m actually doing something productive and I’m sat in the office now you know we’ve got an office space we there’s work to do and it it’s pretty chilled it’s not stressful but we’ve had

A few like issues over like the last year and a half just teing problems mainly only ever because of distribution centers and we L just had a delay with American orders because we decided to move our distribution from the UK over to America to give the America is a

Better service however it was all delayed on on launch and people had to wait six weeks eight weeks for their orders not everyone but some and um again I think people feel like we’re this big this Big Brand which has like 20 staff in it 50 we’re not it’s just me

And Darren dealing with everything everything and it’s been an amazing experience and it’s it’s great it’s it’s you know the clothes are really good quality and I’m doing them for really affordable prices and it’s it’s a lovely uh loungewear product and it’s something I’m really proud of and so wxm clothing

Is a is a loungewear brand we do predominantly tracksuits oversized t-shirts oversized hoodies um uh willly hats caps and it’s it’s just a street where Lu Cottons and fabrics and it’s a super comfortable um loungewear product which I think you know is great value for

Money and and and it looks great well I hope it looks great I think it does and it you know it it’s a product that people can purchase and and know they’re getting good quality material and a good quality fit without actually having to spend 2300 on other brands God I am all

In and I’m going to be first thing after we finish this interview invest into we’re sold out we’re sold out but when we’ve got some new stock back in I’ll make sure you get something mate mate mate I’m going to be I’m going to be buying it

Off the off the resale Market but the yeah the story is immense the numbers are immense that you’re selling and I bet you never thought that was possible when you Ole Palmer Grimsby Town lone but Ole Palmer reom Striker is a very different reality the experience for you

It has been lifechanging someone who had a a late footballing Bloomer start to the career who’s had to grind their way through Ole you know this singular path to Glory as you said UPS Downs challenges nothing straight line huge sacrifice away from your family what’s the most important life lesson you’ve

Learned from this journey I think just yeah I think time I think time is the most important thing of you know of what I’ve learned it’s it’s Irreplaceable and it’s how you spend it it’s how you spend it at home with your family it’s how you

Spend it when you’re up in reum when I’m at work training representing the football club working on my clothing brand uh and using it wisely and and enjoying it enjoying all the good moments but embracing the bad moments you know I’ve been been out injured now I’m currently

Out injured with with a cal strain and um it’s been a tough time you know it it’s just the way life is I lost both my grandparents just before Christmas and that that was pretty tough and then T my C the the same day I found out about my

N and you have the good times you had the bad times right and that’s ni and it’s about trying to stay like that but making sure you enjoy the the good ones and and embrace the bad ones and learn live and try and be happy but yeah for

Me it’s just about time and how you spend it and um I’m very grateful I’m very fortunate to be in the position I’m in I feel very very lucky and um I’m I’m loving every minute of it OE this journey is not over you’re closing in on your 100th appearance for rexam you’re

Also 31 years of age the League 2 Season just past the halfway point first of all when you think about your own career you must see players like like Thiago Silva James Milner still proving it’s possible to play at the highest level in their late 30s 38y old I don’t know if you’ve

Heard of him Cristiano Ronaldo he could still slice sandwich meet with his abs what does it take or what are you currently doing yourself yeah God blessed Tim Reams like old enough to be Low’s dad what what what what are you currently doing to give yourself the

Chance to stay in this game The Game’s definitely changed and you know players are are playing a lot longer than ever ever before um you know players are still in the peak of their condition at 34 35 and people are looking after themselves a lot better now so for me my

Ambition now is is to keep building and gr with this football club I want to be here for many more years and I genuinely love it I love playing for this football club um I love the the teammates the staff are great the fans are unel aable

And you know I plan to be here for a few more years yet and you know if that takes me to 34 35 and then I was to leave then then that’s that’s fine but I want to be playing so I’m 37 38 um because it’s what I love to do and yeah

Is it’s quite a normal thing now that people can’t you know Steven Fletcher is 37 maybe so you know I don’t want to do Injustice 36 37 not too sure but you know he’s still in great shape he very normal now so you know I want to keep growing with the

Football club and you know it’s something that I’m really enjoying and don’t really want it to end he’s 36 he’s a younger see he is a young glad I I’m glad I I’m glad I corrected myself it looks good for 36 St great but again

There there’s so many 35 36 RS out there you know and I’m only 31 so got five six good years left yet him on the that that I’d love to see the Stevie Fletcher um oh hly Palmer pingpong Clash for the ages last question don’t put me in his

Age bracket he’s got about five six years on me talk about the Le and the Paul Bings only two years below me [ __ ] question for you so I can get out of here alive how do you envision the rest of this journey what is possible for Rex and Wy Palmer you’re a

Man that’s seen it all where are they going where does this story end I said I said about us getting promoted and like and I got knocked down but we got promoted I’ve said I believe we’re going to get promoted this year and then I get knocked down and I’m I’m arrogant or

Whatever again if this goes back to being authentic I’m working to to do a job which gets the club promoted that’s why I’m playing for rexim so why why can people not say yeah I believe we will get promoted because that’s what we’re working towards doing right boxers talk

About winning games NFL players talk about winning their games basketball talk about smashing their opponent d but I believe that this football club can go right to the very top there’s nothing standing in the way of this football club to get to the Premier League in the next 10 years in terms of

Infrastructure the the fan base the investment um the quality of players that are currently at the squad and who I’m sure they’re bringing in the future there’s nothing standing in this club’s way of getting to the Premier League in in 10 years and if it takes 125 sorry I

Was Wrong by two or three years but I really believe that this club will go right to the very top I might be too old then but hopefully I’d be welcome back to watch a few Premier League games I love this I do you’ll be too

Busy that wxm brand will be just like be it’ll be it’ll be Global by then that’s the plan that is the plan know I can by the way I can see that and I can also see your pathway where Rex and treat all comers like you treat TOA on the table

Tennis table um I love it I love the notion that you get knocked down like chumba WBA but you get up again Oly pom you are a magnificent blue I just raise this to you your family your team wxm clothing to all of it mate thank you

Mate I appreciate that it’s lovely to meet you as well been great great to shat you loved every second OE Palmer courage