Player Profile: Ryan Palmer, Winger
Last Updated: 06/10/16 12:29pm
![](https://uatimg.skysports.com/11/04/660x350/academy-blog-ryan-palmer_2581532.jpg?20110404101239)
"I'm a bit of a confidence player. When I'm up, no-one can touch me. But when I'm a bit down I need to work hard to get my belief back. My challenge at the Academy is to be consistently confident."
"I'm a bit of a confidence player. When I'm up, no-one can touch me. But when I'm a bit down I need to work hard to get my belief back. My challenge at the Academy is to be consistently confident."
For Ryan, getting his head right is key to earning a regular place. "I've been sub a few times which is fine, but I want to be consistently earning that shirt. So if my confidence is down I need to be professional and keep working hard.
"The Academy has been really great at helping me build the mentality side of my game. Particularly Huw, as he's my mentor. He's helped me work on focusing before the game. What works for me is a bit of a mix bag - having a laugh with the boys, listening to music, tuning everything else out and picturing the game.
"Before the match I go onto the pitch and visualise the game, set my goals - what I'm going to with the ball when I first get it, what passes I'm going to look for. That motivates me helps me decide how I'll play the rest of the game."
But if he needs the ultimate motivation, this attacking winger never needs to look very far. "Watching football on TV always gets me really pumped and ready to play. I'll often go to the gym straight after a game to keep that motivation buzzing."
Follow Ryan's progress on Facebook.com/nikeacademy