The match, Wednesday’s final outing ahead of next weekend’s Championship opener against Plymouth Argyle, was played against La Liga outfit CD Leganes and saw the Owls dominate the ball in a goalless draw. Palmer was given a guard of honour by both sides ahead of the match, with teammates and manager Danny Röhl paying testament to the Scotland international before and after the game.
A special commemorative programme was produced for the day and was filled with further tributes and memories of Palmer’s stellar Owls career to date. A flick through the pages saw Röhl and Owls skipper Barry Bannan pen their own words of thanks as well as cub chairman Dejphon Chansiri.
“I have now been involved in to Hillsborough today for football for almost a decade and I know it is very rare for one player to stay with one club for such a long period of time,” he wrote. “Liam is very much the exception to the modern-day rule.
“I must begin by offering my sincere thanks to Liam on behalf of everyone at our club for the dedication and commitment he has shown to Sheffield Wednesday. I would also like to thank and welcome CD Leganés to Hillsborough. Of course, while today is essentially about Liam, it is very good for our team to be playing strong European opposition just ahead of the new season.
“From all the managers and players he has worked alongside, the message has always been the same, that Liam is an outstanding professional and person. He completely deserves this testimonial and the accolades that go side by side with such an achievement.
“I sincerely hope that Liam, his family, friends and colleagues enjoy this occasion today, which will be something Liam can look back on with pride, a day that very few players will experience.
“Liam has been with Wednesday since he was a young boy in the academy, right the way through to the first team, to become the man he is today. He stands proudly in the top 10 of all-time appearance makers for our club and his numbers will only continue to grow I wish him every success for this afternoon and the future.”
