During one of the lockdowns, one of our regular guests, Alex Bain, had a look at the career progression, or otherwise, of our FA Youth Cup-winning team. With months and years having passed since that piece, Jamie Lauder updates us on where they are now.
All yours Jamie.
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The best part of a decade has passed since Norwich City’s Under-18 side beat Chelsea’s Under-18s to win only their second-ever FA Youth Cup. In this piece, I’ll be looking at the starting XI from the team that beat The Blues in the Stamford Bridge second leg.
Will Britt
William Britt spent the second half of the 2012-13 season on loan at Norwich from Southampton. During that time, he was a regular in the Under-18s and featured in both legs of the FA Youth Cup final. He remained in the Saints’ youth system until 2016, with loan moves out to Bognor Regis and Maidenhead, before spending a solitary season at Salisbury and announcing his retirement at 22.
Cameron Norman
Norwich-born Cameron Norman spent six years with City, including a loan move at Woking, before being released in 2016. He then spent two seasons in non-league with Needham Market, Concord Rangers and Norfolk neighbours, King’s Lynn Town, before earning a move to Oxford United. Since then, he’s made 112 EFL appearances for The Us, Walsall and Newport County – where he currently is.
Ben Wyatt
Another Norwich-born player, Ben Wyatt, featured in the final and would go on to spend one more season in the City ranks before being released and moving to East-Anglian rivals, Ipswich Town. His time there was short, and Wyatt moved to Maldon and Tiptree before spending three seasons in the National League South with Braintree, St Albans and Concord Rangers. He now plays his football at Sutton United, where he won the fifth tier of English football last season.
Cameron McGeehan
Cameron McGeehan captained Norwich to victory in the 2012-13 final but didn’t make a first-team appearance for City. He had three loan moves before moving to Luton for a six-figure fee in 2015. Over the next five years, McGeehan floated around the Football League at Luton, Portsmouth, Scunthorpe and Barnsley, where he earned a move to Belgian top-division side, Oostende.
Kyle Callan-McFadden
Republic of Ireland Under-21 international, Kyle Callan-McFadden, appeared once competitively for Norwich City’s first team, but was released at the end of the 2014-15 season and moved to Orlando City’s B team. He returned to his native country in 2016, and made 105 appearances for Sligo Rovers before coming back to Norfolk where he’s spent the last two seasons at King’s Lynn Town.
Harry Toffolo
Harry Toffolo made 10 appearances for England’s youth teams while at City, and moved to Lincoln City in 2018. In his first season there, Toffolo was named in the League Two Team of the Year and earned a move to Huddersfield in 2020, where he still plays and is challenging for promotion to the Premier League.
Josh Murphy
Josh Murphy made the most first-team appearances for Norwich out of the FA Youth Cup-winning squad. He scored in his competitive debut against Watford in 2013 and stayed at the club until 2018 before being sold to Cardiff for an estimated £11m. He spent three seasons with The Bluebirds (one Premier League, two Championship) and has spent this season on loan at Preston North End.
Harry Randall
Harry Randall was released by Norwich at the end of the 2013-14 season. The Northern Ireland Under-19 international then moved to Histon, before a move to Bishop Stortford. Unfortunately, this is all the internet has to say on the ex-Canary youngster.
Carlton Morris
Carlton Morris was the longest-staying Norwich player to feature in the 2013 FA Youth Cup final. He stayed on Norwich’s books until January 2021 but in that time had eight loan spells in England and Scotland. Amazingly, Morris was a Norwich player for 15 years but only managed one first-team appearance. He now plays for Barnsley in a Championship relegation battle.
Cameron King
Cameron King joined Norwich City’s academy at the age of eight. He never made a senior appearance for the Yellows but did represent Scotland’s Under-21s while at the club. Since leaving, King has played for Halifax Town, Shamrock Rovers and is currently at Kings Lynn.
Jacob Murphy
Jacob played all of the final alongside his twin, Josh, and made 37 first-team appearances in the 2016-17 season. He then moved to Newcastle, following their Premier League promotion and has since made 88 EPL appearances on Tyneside.
Notable Mentions – Chelsea
Some notable mentions from the Chelsea side that day:
- Andreas Christensen played 90 minutes that day and is still at Chelsea now. He featured in the Euro 2020 semi-final against England and has a Premier League and Champions League medal apiece.
- John Swift was part of the Chelsea squad in the final and has been heavily linked with a move to Norwich for years. He’s spent six years at Reading, making 181 league appearances.
- Ruben Loftus-Cheek also played in the 2013 FA Youth Cup final. He’s won two Premier League titles, a Champions League, and was part of England’s 2018 World Cup squad.
Really good article. Surprised by the amount of players to have been at Lynn!
Me too! I suppose a lot of them have either grown up in Norfolk or became attached.
Great article.
Apart from the Murphy brothers, I was always surprised we didn’t get more out of McGeehan and Toffolo – the ones that got away, in my book.
Toffolo’s really performing at Huddersfield now. Clear to see McGeehan’s quality too in the Belgian top flight.
Good to see an up date.
Harry Toffolo scored the other night with an assist from Sinani and is proving a great wingback for Huddesfield.
A good read.
I was watching that game! Hoping Danel Sinani can come back and make an impact next season.
With the way the Huddesfield manager is talking it looks like the will take up the purchase option I hopeit has a good sell on Clause as well
I didn’t realise! I reckon we’ve missed out on a cracking player there though.
Glad to see that a fair few of the team managed to stay in league football. Even if you haven’t cracked the Premier League or Championship, you’ve still got to be a damn decent footballer to play in the lower divisions – I don’t think people often realise that.
The two legs (especially the second) remain among my favourite Norwich memories over the years. Can’t believe it is now getting on for a decade ago!
For sure. All of these players clearly have immense quality and give reason for City fans to be hopeful of further Academy success in coming years.
To put a dampener on our academy I just don’t see them being given a chance to prove themselves.
We have heard about the few who have had their contact options taken up possibly so city might get a few pennies for them but there’s a young lad that cost city a big outlay playing at ICT getting all the local premiership and League 1 clubs knocking on his agents door eho is out of Contract Reece McAlear is his name.
His last common was that the loans manager speaks to him via Skype and phone after every game but there has been no mention of a new contract surely Hughs should be on a plane up there getting him signed up or we will lose him for nothing.
Scotland comes under FIFA as a separate state so no development fee would be forthcoming I just hope that someone knows what’s going on
It’s a difficult situation for City fans. We all want this star-studded side that can keep us in the EPL, but that’ll surely come at a cost with the youth development. With the new restrictions on loan signings coming in, it’ll make it even more difficult for young players to develop if not given a chance in the first team.
On other channels I have been banging the drum about McAlear. Problem is: what level is the Scottish Championship?
L1?
Obviously there is a gulf in quality, but McAlear has looked a talent when featuring for the u23s, and Inverness.
Am I right in thinking that Nathan Aké played in the first leg for Chelsea but was sidelined for the second? I recall thinking that his absence greatly improved Nodge’s chances. His subsequent career shows what a class act he was and is.
I loved the spirit of that young Norwich side.
Yep. His absence in the second leg was near-decisive in City’s win. Quality player