Proud Palmer just wishes his nan was here to see the joy
IT was a historic triumph which united a nation and brought families together. Through laughter, nerves and tears, it was impossible to escape the emotions of it all. The images of Scotland’s players dancing and singing into the wee small hours in Serbia will be remembered for a long time.
But, away from the noise, the time came for quiet reflection. A moment to stop and try to take in the scale of the achievement in reaching Euro 2020. And to think of loved ones who are no longer here.
Liam Palmer may not have stepped onto the pitch until David Marshall made that save in the shoot-out, but the togetherness which has grown under Steve Clarke meant the unused substitute was very much a part of Thursday night’s celebrations on the sodden turf.
The 29-year-old right-back qualifies for Scotland through his late nan Jean, who hailed from Carluke in Lanarkshire.
Palmer has quietly worked his way through Under-19 and Under-21 level before he earned his senior debut in last year’s 3-0 defeat to Kazakhstan.
While his grandmother never got the chance to see him pull on Scotland’s Dark Blue in person, the Sheffield Wednesday full-back will never forget a woman who meant so much to him.
‘I put a post on Instagram after the game saying: “That’s for you nan”,’ said Palmer. ‘When I first started playing for Scotland under Billy Stark, never did I think I would be part of reaching a tournament for the first time in 23 years.
‘What a decision it was to choose Scotland and it breaks my heart my nan is not here anymore to see this.
‘I spoke to all my family afterwards and they all said how proud she would be. If she was still here, she would be inviting everyone in the street in to tell them about it — Covid or not!
‘She was the love of her street. Everybody nipped in to see her. She was that kind of woman — open arms for anyone and they would have had a bit of a party.’
The play-off success was very much a family affair. Social media became full of clips showing mums, dads, sons and daughters embracing in their homes. A new generation now knows what it feels like to see Scotland’s men qualify for a major tournament.
Within minutes of a dramatic ending, Ryan Christie gave a tearful television interview. It captured the mood of the nation perfectly. ‘Seeing the emotion of the boys immediately after the game, Ryan Christie’s interview probably summed it up,’ continued Palmer. ‘You could see the relief and what it meant to everyone. Not just the boys in camp but everyone outside. It’s been amazing to see the messages coming in and everyone’s in a great mood.
‘In the back our minds going into the Serbia game, we knew the joy we could bring to families back home.
‘Ryan’s interview was so good, he touched on it. What a year it’s been with lockdowns and other things. So to give that joy and excitement to people, it’s really nice.
‘The players felt we had the chance to put a smile back on everyone’s face at a tough time. That was one of the driving factors for us.
‘When the manager spoke, it was about the game being successful. He didn’t want us to go down the line of fear and what might not happen.’
The prospect of appearing at a major finals seemed unimaginable for Palmer when he made his debut in the team which slumped in Kazakhstan under Alex McLeish in the opening qualifier in March 2019.
The full-back played in the 4-0 defeat in Russia before tasting victories in Group I against San Marino, Cyprus and the return clash with Kazakhstan.
Palmer featured in the 2-1 victory against a second-string Czech Republic side in the Nations League in September but missed the shoot-out win against Israel in the play-off semi-final through injury.
Competing with Motherwell’s
Stephen O’Donnell for the right wing-back position in Clarke’s favoured 3-4-2-1 formation, Palmer may return to action if the manager decides to switch things for today’s Nations League clash in Slovakia and Wednesday’s tie in Israel.
Reflecting on his absence from the play-off against Israel, Palmer said: ‘I was disappointed but just desperate to get back in the squad.
‘There has been a culture change and the boys are desperate to be called up. When I got the back injury, I was just praying it wouldn’t be anything long term. I went to see a specialist and thankfully he managed to sort me out. I’m happy to be back this time and looking forward to what is to come.’
Hailing the togetherness in the squad, Palmer said: ‘It’s important we build on this momentum and try to reach the World Cup now.
‘That’s the manager’s message: to keep it going for as long as possible. We’ve had our time celebrating but there’s another big game on Sunday.
‘We know how important these Nations League games can be, especially looking towards the World Cup now. We’re in a good position and we want to cement that over the next two games.’
After the Nations League games, Palmer will return to his club where he will work under new boss Tony Pulis after he replaced Garry Monk at Hillsborough.
And, further ahead, Palmer hopes to be involved in Scotland’s date with destiny against England at Wembley in next summer’s Euros.
‘The England game will be spoken about the most and we can look forward to it,’ he said. ‘But I’m just going to be working hard in the next two games. I want the chance to showcase what I can do again.
‘Everybody will be vying for those places. Then I’ll go back to my club and make sure I do make the final cut.’