Norwich City’s first arrival of the summer transfer window, 18-year-old Scottish attacking midfielder Flynn Clarke, was in high spirits for his first club interview.
“I feel absolutely delighted to arrive here,” he told canaries.co.uk. “I’m over the moon.
“The club is a great club. They look at a lot of the youngsters and try to make a pathway for them. They recently got promoted to the Premier League so it feels like a no-brainer for me.
“They don’t just abandon the youngsters, they try to make a pathway for them and to me that was massive. It opened my eyes and grabbed my attention.”
So what should Norwich fans expect from Clarke, and are there any players he looks to for inspiration?
“I’m an attacking player who plays as a number ten just behind the strikers,” he said. “I just like to get on the ball in pockets of space with one or two touches, playing the ball in behind for the strikers to try to get goals.
“I like the likes of Mason Mount, who plays exactly like me in the same position. I like how Jack Grealish gets a half turn.”
Before moving to Norwich, Clarke spent almost a decade with Peterborough United, rising through the academy ranks before breaking into the first-team.
“My time there was brilliant,” he said. “I’d been there since the age of nine. Throughout the whole academy, everyone was brilliant to me and made sure I always had an extra space so I can step forward and make another achievement, another step forward for myself.
“Last season, I made my breakthrough season into first-team football and it was a massive achievement for me, playing in the league and cup games having not been used to that. I loved it.
“It was a massive change to what I was used to, playing Under-18s football and then getting thrown into the mixer to play against senior players and pros who have been there for a number of years.
“The physicality, strength and quickness - everything changed but it was a good challenge and I feel I developed well as a footballer.”
The breakthrough season included a moment Clarke will cherish for the rest of his life, winning Peterborough’s goal of the season award with a long-range striker off the underside of the crossbar.
“I like to have a long shot every now and then, like everyone does,” he said. “When it went in off the bar, especially against Cambridge, it was a good moment for me.
“In the moment [Peterborough were promoted] I was speechless, lost for words. That had never happened to me so it’s a memory that will never be forgotten. I was over the moon and couldn’t really describe how it was.”
As for Clarke’s ambitions going forward, he’s again got his sights set on breaking into the first-team setup.
“I’d like to try to make a breakthrough to the senior team,” he said. “I’d like to show all the fans, staff and players around me what I’m capable of and hopefully I can get a shirt.
“I’m very excited, over the moon. I can’t wait to broadcast myself to the fans and everyone around the world.”
