Wrexham fan favourite Ollie Palmer has left after helping the Hollywood-owned club to three promotions, but has not reached the destination he previously hoped for
Wrexham star Ollie Palmer has missed out on his dream move after leaving the club by mutual consent. The striker has been a key figure for the Red Dragons over the last three-and-a-half years, helping them achieve three consecutive promotions from the National League to the Championship.
The 33-year-old joined Wrexham from AFC Wimbledon in January 2022 for a then club record fee of £300,000. He scored 46 goals in 156 appearances for the Welsh side, cementing himself as a firm fan favourite in the process.
Palmer was also prominently featured in the Welcome to Wrexham documentary, which charts the club’s ownership by Hollywood actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac. Such was his popularity with the celebrity pair that he was even given a brief cameo in last year’s Deadpool and Wolverine movie, which saw Reynolds star in the lead role.
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He once expressed his desire to either retire at Wrexham, or to play in the MLS if that wasn’t possible. Palmer outlined his goal after admitting that the club’s rapid progress could see his services no longer required.
Speaking on the Elvis Duran Show in May 2024, he said: « I’d love to play for Wrexham until the end of my career, that would be my ultimate goal. But the honest reality is that it’s growing at such a fast pace and the aim is to get into the Premier League, and there is no time to be sentimental.
« My aim is to be there for as long as possible and to deliver the club success. I’ll do that for as long as I’m wanted to. Failing that, because everything does come to an end, I’d love to play in America. »
Despite his ambition of playing in the States, he has now made the drop down to League Two with Swindon Town, joining the club on a two-year deal. It comes after he was frozen out of the Wrexham squad by manager Phil Parkinson in the second half of last season as they secured automatic promotion from League One.
Palmer was deemed surplus to requirements after the former Bolton and Sunderland boss signed strikers Jay Rodriguez and Sam Smith in the January transfer window. He was offered the chance to leave on loan following their arrival, but chose to stay and fight for his place in the team.
The decision was not received well by his dad, Andy Palmer, who publicly criticised Parkinson for leaving his son on the sidelines. He even took a swipe at Wrexham’s significant January spending in a post on social media.
Palmer Snr, a former protection officer for the Royal Family, made his comments as Wrexham drew a blank in a goalless draw at home against Bolton in March. During the second half of the match, Rodriguez and Smith were substituted after failing to find the net.
Writing in response to the club’s post regarding the changes on X, he said: « They were a good buy, » before adding a series of thinking face emojis.
In a further message after the final whistle, he said: « PP (Phil Parkinson) and SP (Steve Parkin) need to swallow their pride. Need to look at the team they had before Christmas!! That team got them to where they are now…just saying. Maybe Smith and Palmer upfront. »
Palmer Jnr, who was into the final year of his contract at Wrexham, signed off his time in North Wales in style with an impressive substitute appearance against Hull City in the Carabao Cup in mid-August. Parkinson’s side were losing 3-1 when he came off the bench in the latter stages of the first round fixture, scoring two goals in stoppage time to send the tie to a penalty shootout.
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Wrexham emerged victorious and Palmer was among those who successfully converted from the spot in what was his first competitive appearance since early February and also, ultimately, his last. He admitted to feeling emotional following the final whistle after he received a warm ovation from supporters in attendance at the Racecourse Ground.
« Tonight was a special night for sure, » Palmer told BBC Sport Wales. « Bar the National League promotion and maybe one or two other big moments, I think this is probably top two, top three.
« It was just an emotional night after missing games through February, March and April. Doing so much for the first two-thirds of the season and then missing out in the last 16 games was obviously tough, but that’s football. You’ve got to dig deep and you’ve got to do what you can to help the football club in any way. »
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