Palmer and Rogers share one of football’s most recognisable goal celebrations, a move where players cross their arms and rub their hands down their biceps as if shivering.
It was Rogers who first performed the celebration publicly, scoring the winner for Middlesbrough against West Bromwich Albion in a Championship match on 23 December 2023.
Just one week later, Palmer unveiled the same move after scoring in Chelsea’s 3-2 victory over Luton Town on 30 December 2023.
Palmer’s goal that day was a composed finish, rolling the ball past the Luton goalkeeper before sitting down a defender and poking into an empty net.
The Chelsea star was quick to credit his former Manchester City academy and England youth team-mate for the inspiration behind the moment.
Palmer said: “My boy Morgz [Rogers] did one for Middlesbrough, so I told him I’d do it too if I scored.”
Rogers, now starring for Aston Villa, has been characteristically relaxed about the situation, though he has made his feelings on ownership of the celebration quite clear.
After a match between Villa and Chelsea, Rogers joked: “Yeah, he definitely copied me!”
Speaking to talkSPORT, Rogers said: “We’ve had a chat about this, he knows that obviously I done it and it took off so it’s one of those things. Everyone knows it’s my celebration, he might have done it, but everybody knows.”
Palmer has since taken the matter a step further by successfully trademarking the celebration, though the trademark applies only to commercial use rather than on-pitch performances.
That means other footballers, including Rogers himself, remain free to use the celebration during matches without any legal complications.
The pair are not the only players to have laid claim to the move, with Valencia winger Diego Lopez insisting he was the original creator of the celebration.
The sheer reach of the celebration has grown well beyond club football, spreading across different sports and being performed by athletes around the world.
It is a remarkable journey for a gesture that began in the English Championship just over two years ago and has since become a global phenomenon.
The relationship between Palmer and Rogers remains a warm one despite the friendly dispute, with both players having come through the Manchester City academy system together.
Palmer’s decision to trademark the celebration adds a new commercial dimension to what began as a simple tribute between two friends who grew up playing alongside each other.
