Originally signed as a schoolboy, he played several seasons professionally in the development team and in the FA Youth Cup.
In 1983, he accepted a scholarship at the University of New Haven, Connecticut in the USA to play football and take a BSc in Mass Media Communication.
He is widely regarded as the 'voice of La Liga' in the UK and on TV stations that took the Sky feed of Spanish matches from 1996 to 2018.
Palmer writes a weekly column for the Spanish based, Sur in English, newspaper and regularly appears on SuperSport in South Africa plus Sirus Radio in the States.
Rob is known for voice-overs for many Premier League football clubs including Manchester United, Liverpool FC, Everton, and Hull City.
He commentated on the 1994 World Cup for ITV, the Champions League Final 2010 (Sky 3D coverage) and Euro 96 for the host broadcaster.
He hosts an annual golf tournament which is supported by many football legends including Robbie Fowler, Jason McAteer, Kevin Ratcliffe and Derek Mountfield.