Strikers are judged by their goals. Coming into a new club, their first thought turns to scoring that first goal in their new colours as quickly as possible. A striker’s nightmare is going on the dreaded ‘goal-drought’, which only brings added pressure on their shoulders.
Seb Palmer-Houlden is no different. Signing in August from Gillingham, Palmer-Houlden’s debut came against SC Freiburg in the UEFA Conference League, an easy start to proceedings. Starting the second leg in Germany and coming on as a substitute against St Mirren, he was handed his first Fir Park start against Dundee United at the start of the month.
An opportunity to get on the scoresheet, of course, but when Dundee United were reduced to ten men, the forward would have been rubbing his hands together at the prospect of heightened chances. When Tom Sparrow crossed into the box and Palmer-Houlden connected sweetly on the volley, the ball came off the inside of the post and into the net with the big striker wheeling away in celebration.
“I think you could see by my reaction just how over the moon I was,” he laughed.
“It meant a lot to me, and scoring my first goal on home turf was amazing. I was grateful for the ball coming in at the right time, and my movement was good. I know this team is going to get a lot of chances. We create a lot, and we’ve got some outstanding players; I just need to put myself in the right positions, and hopefully more goals will come.
“The first couple of games were a little different because of the opposition, but no matter who I’m playing against, I just try to work hard. That’s a big part of my game. I had a couple of chances at St Mirren, and to be honest, I think I could’ve done better with them. That Dundee United game was the first one I’d played in where we had total control, and I think when you’ve got that and the creative players doing their thing, it’s inevitable that I’ll get chances.
“But even in those other games, like Freiburg, I did have chances. So the signs are positive, and I will need to be alert every game. I think if I went ten games without scoring, then pressure builds up, but I think people understood when I came in that I’d only had a short period with the club; we’d hardly trained because of the number of games, and everything was so compact. So I didn’t feel much pressure initially here, to be honest.
“It helps that my teammates are all just lovely guys. It’s a really welcoming club, and the Gaffer, along with his staff, has been really helpful to me already, and it’s just an easy place to settle into. Scoring the first goal is always getting the monkey off your back, but the whole start here has been a positive one.
“We may not have as hectic a fixture schedule over the next few weeks, but I would still say it’s going to remain just as intense. Training is full-on, and this period could be mentally demanding for us as a group. We need to think about lots of different things, and we’re also always aiming to learn as well. As I’m a new player here, I’m still getting up to speed with patterns of play and picking up things about my teammates. But it’s nice for us to be able to spend some time on the training pitch and use this time to strengthen relationships between players and digest more about how they play and what they like to do on the pitch.
“It gives us a bit more time to prepare for games. Instead of going into a match with one day’s preparation, we can do more work on the opposition and build up a good few days into the game, which is really helpful.”
His relationship with football was strong from the early years, and beginning the journey with Bristol City before the age of ten meant Palmer-Houlden has been in that professional environment from an early stage.
Even now, having made it as a professional footballer, he remains ever grateful to his family and friends who helped him during those years as he chased the dream.
“There was a lot of pride involved when I played with Bristol City,” Palmer-Houlden explained.
“I think people see football as one of the biggest things ever. My mum and dad were just proud of me for making that step. My dad worked really hard to get me into that position. There are many things people don’t see behind the scenes when it comes to how demanding it can be for parents. Even for me, it was travelling four or sometimes five times a week to a place that was half an hour away.
“It just became our thing, and I enjoyed every minute of it. When I was a little kid, and I’m still the same today, I just loved playing football. And as I got older, it got more serious. As a young kid, you just enjoy it, and I remember being starstruck when you go out and see the first-team training. It’s a bit like seeing your role models. That’s an experience that serves you well, and the path I’ve ended up changing is something I’d never want to chance.
“The football thing ended up taking over my dad and I. He always wanted to helped me and there has been sacrifice along the way. Even just the weekends in general. My parent would have a day off but they couldn’t really do anything because everything revolved around my football, which is tough when you’ve got younger family members.
“You miss out on parties as a kid, but I didn’t really care about that stuff. I just wanted to be on the field, and it put me into a routine and did set me up for things later in life. Even just the small things like making sure my bag was packed for football the next day, making sure I didn’t forget things and teaching me discipline. I enjoyed every minute of it, and there have been low points too. It teaches you to deal with disappointment and adversity from an early age.
“So when I talk about sacrifice, I’d say it’s more related to my family because it was them who gave up so much for me.”
More learning experiences came for Palmer-Houlden when he was loaned out to Chippenham Town at the age of 18 to get his first taste of first-team football.
His time there would end up being short, but learning points would prove invaluable for his development.
“Bristol City prepared me so well for that move,” he explained.
“Going into that men’s football environment was different. You’ve got boys who are working all week and this would be their out. Like they’d just worked a full shift and were coming in to do their thing. It makes you respect how much effort and sacrifice they put in just to play at this level.
“But for a younger me, it was good to get involved in the physicality of the game there. It’s a different ballgame to the Under 18s football, that’s for sure. You’re fighting with a 30-year-old in a dual as he pulls your shirt and tries every trick in the book to win. But yeah, it was a beneficial experience, and I loved it, to be honest. I was fortunate to go there and Yeovil Town, with both clubs treating me really well.
“Newport County was probably the biggest stepping stone in my career, and that came next. I owe a lot to that football club because I’d had two loans and hadn’t scored a goal, which is ideal for a striker, of course, but they just gave me this opportunity to go play. It was everything I could have ever wanted. I played, faced Manchester United in the FA Cup, scored three winners on the bounce and built a connection with the fans.
“I’ve got so much time for everyone at Newport County, as I don’t know if I’d be here just now in my career if it wasn’t for them. After Newport, the chance to play for Dundee came up. When you think of Scottish football, you think about the experience of playing in the big stadiums, in front of thousands of fans. It’s a different ball game. There are a lot more internationals up here too, which is good for me to learn from.
“Dundee was the first time I lived on my own, and it was a challenge for me. It was a successful year on and off the pitch as I tried to find my feet.”
Now 22, Palmer-Houlden can use his experiences for the future. Having settled into his new surroundings, the future is bright for the forward, but he remains grounded.
He might only be in his early 20s, but the Englishman says he feels mature beyond his years, which is something that will serve him well.
“I wouldn’t quite say I’ve had a journeyman’s career already, but maybe it looks like that on paper,” he joked.
“I’ve been abroad and been in different environments, but it’s all been about learning for me. I’ve enjoyed every moment of it. Football is never on a straight trajectory, and there will always be ups and downs, and I’ve had plenty of both in my career already. Sometimes you can maybe think, ‘Why am I doing this?’ But the ups always outweigh the downs, and no matter how bad a game you might think you’ve had, or how bad an injury is, you can always come back from it.
“The feeling of scoring a goal, winning a game or celebrating with your teammates will always make you feel on top of the world. I feel quite mature for my age and that’s just come from the experiences I’ve had so far. I used to think I could tackle everything on my own.
“Sometimes, that’s not possible. You need to speak to people and lean on your family and friends. Football has made me realise how good a family I’ve got. They keep me standing up and they give me the freedom to go and do my thing. They’re always there for me no matter what which is all I need to know. That gives you confidence no matter what lies ahead.”
