On behalf of all involved at the Academy I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the manager, Paul Lambert, his staff and of course the players for securing promotion back to the Championship.
Securing promotion at the first time of asking is a fantastic achievement and everybody involved deserves great credit. Now that the manager has secured promotion I am sure he would like nothing more than to win the title and we of course wish him and the team the very best of luck in today's fixture and in the remainder of the season.
From an Academy perspective, it was great to see a number of Academy graduates playing their part in the success, particularly Korey Smith and Chris Martin who have not just held down a place in the first team squad, but have become important members of the first team's success this season.
It was unfortunate for Korey to be injured for the match at Charlton last weekend, particularly as he was part of the team who travelled to Charlton last season when we were relegated. Hopefully he will regain full fitness soon and play a part in the remaining fixtures this season and get his taste of success in front of the crowd at Carrow Road.
Chris has responded very well to the disappointment of relegation with Luton Town where he was on loan last season. He has come back with a great attitude towards the game, he always had a good touch and a real eye for goal and he has now added strength to his all-round game and has proved to be a real threat for opponents this season. I am sure the confidence he has gained from being in a successful team this year will help him develop even further as a player.
I hope these young players continue to taste success during their careers at Norwich City and other members from the Academy system can emulate these players and progress at the Club.
Once again congratulations to the management team and the players for a fantastic achievement and I am sure we all hope they now go on to become league champions.
Enjoy the game.
Ricky Martin
Academy Manager
