Kasey Palmer is hoping a season at Swansea City can put him on the club’s fast-track back to the Premier League.
The winger – on loan from Bristol City – is set for his first start this evening at Coventry City after making his Swans debut during last weekend’s 2-1 home defeat to Huddersfield.
Palmer, 23, came through the ranks at Chelsea before loan spells at Huddersfield, Derby, Blackburn and Bristol City, with the Robins eventually paying £3.5m to take him to Ashton Gate just over a year ago.
But he recently found himself out of favour under new manager Dean Holden this season and was keen to switch to Swansea in order to prove himself.
Dan James, Oli McBurnie and Joe Rodon have all gone on to higher things in the Premier League in the past couple of seasons – having made their mark with the Swans – while loanees Rhian Brewster and Conor Gallagher have also moved back up to the top level.
Palmer says: “The club has done well to produce players who have gone on and made moves to the Premier League, but my main aim for now is to come here and play football.
“Wherever that takes me and the club, who knows? Hopefully, it’s to the Premier League. If not, then we have to keep going and try and develop the players who are coming through.
“From what I’ve seen, the academy produces non-stop talent.”
Palmer arrived at the Liberty Stadium last Friday – the same day that Rodon was sold to Tottenham in a deal worth only £11m initially, although it could rise to £15m.
Palmer admits he would have liked to have been part of a Swans squad with Rodon still in it and adds: “I haven’t played with him before. But I’ve seen how well he’s done and he’s come through academy with everyone talking so highly about him.
“All the best to him at Spurs. It’s disappointing that I won’t get the opportunity to play with him but it’s a dream move for anyone to go to the Premier League so I hope he does well.”
Palmer’s former club are the surprise early leader of the Championship after four wins and a draw, although the Robins have a reputation for starting seasons brightly before fading away.
The Londoner rates the current Swans squad as at least as strong as the leaders and insists Steve Cooper’s side – currently back in fourth place, three points off the lead – can bounce back quickly from their first defeat of the season.
“Bristol have started well so the confidence is you’d expect is sky high. They’re feeling on top of the world.
“Here, it’s similar. It’s been a great start and although it was disappointing against Huddersfield, the ambition of the group is high, so one defeat is not going to affect the confidence of the group.
It’s crucial we bounce back. It’s a long season. There are going to be losses and it’s about how you react to those. The games comes thick and fast and Tuesday is the perfect opportunity to bounce back.
“You can see with the players who were here last year and the message from the manager, the aim, is to achieve the highest position possible. We all think in the dressing room, that’s to get promoted.
“The goal is the same as last year.”
Swansea are without Morgan Gibbs-White as the on-loan Wolves midfielder faces three months out with a foot problem.
The game comes too soon for George Byers as he recovers from a groin problem, but new arrivals Ryan Manning and Ryan Bennett could make their debuts following their deadline-day arrivals from QPR and Wolves respectively.
Coventry have had a challenging start to the new campaign – with one win in five – after securing promotion as League One champions, but have picked up creditable results against QPR and Rotherham and been a competitive proposition for all-comers so far on their return to the Championship.