Aiden Palmer has described the extraordinary circumstances which surrounded his long-awaited return to the Ebbsfleet team.

Palmer was back at Stonebridge Road on Saturday after completing a loan spell at Chelmsford, although he wasn’t included in the squad to face Bishop’s Stortford.

However, when Joe Howe injured himself during the warm-up, Fleet boss Daryl McMahon decided to bring Palmer straight in at left-back.

The 28-year-old quickly got changed and warmed up but Stortford protested, claiming he couldn’t play because he wasn’t named on the original team sheet.

In the end, McMahon made a second amendment, naming Anthony Acheampong in the starting XI and dropping Palmer to the bench.

Palmer said: "I was in the gym doing leg weights and the gaffer called me saying 'get over', so I ran over.

"I was shocked to get the call, to be told I was playing. I was buzzing, excited and got a good reception from the fans.

"I thought I was starting but then obviously I couldn’t start. It was mental. That’s why the kick-off was delayed. We didn’t know what we were going to do.

"I had a short warm-up, about 10 minutes and everyone was panicking.

"The gaffer, in the end, just decided to play Ach because he couldn’t be bothered to go through all that, changing it.

"He told me just before half-time 'you’re coming on' so it was nice to get on."

Fleet won 4-2, with Palmer playing the second 45 minutes as he continues to bounce back from what doctors told him was a career-threatening knee injury.

He said: "It feels great. We’re top of the league so there’s a good buzz around the camp anyway. It’s unreal.

"Last year there was a horrible feeling around the club because we were performing so badly but this year you feel part of something.

"It’s not nice that Joe’s been injured but this is now my chance and I’ve got to take it with both hands."