Jack Wilshere believes Kasey Palmer is growing into a key figure for Luton Town as the midfielder continues to find form, confidence and consistency following Saturday’s 2-1 League One win over Bradford City.
Loan signing Palmer caught the eye again at Kenilworth Road, and Wilshere feels his influence is increasing week by week after what he described as a stop-start period earlier in the season with parent club Hull City.
“Week by week he’s getting better,” Wilshere said. “He had a bit of a stop-start season at Hull where he was in and he picked up a little bit of an injury and players like that need to find their rhythm.”
While the midfielder has played most of his career in advanced midfield roles, he’s excelled for Luton in a deeper lying role. Either way, Wilshere believes Palmer’s quality is most obvious when he plays with freedom and confidence.
“You can see when he’s in his rhythm, when he’s in flow, he’s a special player,” he said. “He’ll get better and better.”
One of the Jamaican international’s biggest strengths, according to the Luton boss, is his ability to bring calm to chaotic moments during games.
“When he wins the ball back and it might be a frantic moment and he beats a man and he beats that first bit of pressure, it opens up the pitch,” Wilshere explained. “He calms the whole team down.”
Wilshere also acknowledged that Palmer is a player who benefits from trust and reassurance, while still being expected to take responsibility within the group.
“He is that type of player that needs an arm around him. But I also need him to lead as well,” the Town boss said.
The former England midfielder wants Palmer to set standards on and off the pitch, drawing on his experience at a higher level.
“I need him to drive standards,” Wilshere said of the loan ace who has more than 250 appearances in the Championship under his belt, adding: “I need him to show the players what it takes to play at the next level.
“He’s had a career in the Championship, but he also had a youth career at a top academy [Chelsea]. He knows what it takes, how to live your life, how to be professional, how to train every day.”
Wilshere believes Palmer’s presence can be influential beyond his own performances, particularly for younger players in the squad.
“When someone’s played at a higher level and then they come down and perform like they do, that’s inspiring for players around him,” he said. “He needs to keep going like that and lead every single day and demand from others and help the others as well.”
With Luton aiming to build momentum in the second half of the season, Wilshere made it clear Palmer will be central to those plans.
“We need to keep telling him how important he is to us,” the manager said. “Keep working with him on the grass and keep him focused because he’s going to be a big player for us.
“We want to grow and improve as a team. And he’s going to be key to that.”
Podcast joins the Kasey Palmer Appreciation Society
The Lutonian journalist James Cunliffe gave a glowing appraisal of Kasey Palmer’s performance during his appearance on the Luton Town Supporters’ Trust Podcast…
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