As a player, he was a midfielder from 1984 to 2005, playing in the Premier League for Sheffield Wednesday, Leeds United, Southampton, Nottingham Forest and Coventry City.
Palmer started his career at West Bromwich Albion, joining as an apprentice in July 1983 before turning professional in December 1984.
In the dressing room he was "abrasive, awkward and argumentative" but on the pitch he was "determined, hard-working and persistent" and his long legs made him "a most difficult player to compete against".
[7] In January 1999 he was transferred to Nottingham Forest for a fee of £1.1 million and was replaced in Southampton's midfield by Chris Marsden.
[17] In September 2005, after Mansfield Town were beaten 2–0 by Rochdale and close to the League Two relegation zone, Palmer resigned as manager saying "I have had a good career and I don't need to take the abuse from the crowd.
[19] On 14 September at the age of 55, Palmer named himself as a substitute in a game against Ashton United due to injuries.
[citation needed] Palmer owned an online estate agency in Sheffield called The Home Game which ceased trading in August 2008.
In June 2010 Palmer appeared in a one-off football special of Come Dine with Me where he came in first place and won £1,000 for charity.
[27] In March 2023, Palmer was admitted to hospital after suffering a suspected "small heart attack" while he was running the Sheffield half-marathon.