Under-23s coach Alan Neilson and U23s striker Abu Kamara are in high spirits going into their second Premier League 2 clash on Friday evening.
After a 3-0 win over Southampton last week, Kamara scoring a hat-trick, the two are raring to go as they host Stoke City at Carrow Road under the floodlights.
Speaking in his pre-match interview, Neilson said: “We’re really looking forward to it after the performance we put in against Southampton. The boys have been shown their clips, and they were some really good ones.
“I was really, really pleased. We put some foundations down, played some good stuff, and played with a good shape. It’s just progressing from there, adding some bits on, can we pass the ball better at certain stages? Can we get the ball to the midfield players and forward players as quick as we can? If not, we have to be patient and enjoy the football.”
The venue is a special one for the U23s as they play at Carrow Road for the first time since December 2019, which Neilson says will be an invaluable experience for the players, going beyond the result on the night.
“The boys want to play for the first-team, they want to play at Carrow Road, the 18s get to play there in the FA Youth Cup, it’s the same thing now. We play four games there over the season, so it’ll be a really great experience for the players and staff.
“It’s not about winning, it’s about the players getting the experience of playing at Carrow Road, that experience is massive because hopefully in years to come they’ll be playing a lot of games at Carrow Road.”
Meanwhile, hat-trick hero Kamara says he’s feeling confident going into the game against the Potters after last week’s win but credits his goals to a whole team effort.
“Of course, going into a game with three goals boosts my confidence and makes me feel like I can go into the next game and get another three goals.
“I have to thank my teammates for my three goals, people like Jon Rowe, Tom Dickson-Peters, Tony Springett, they helped me get those three goals, so I’m thankful for them.
“In training we’ve really been working on our pressing as we’ve gone into a new formation, and I thought we executed that press well from when it was with their ‘keeper.
“It could’ve been better, but I thought we set-up really well and we even got a goal from it, so it’s working.”
Finally, Kamara says his main focus for Friday night is to impress the fans who come along to support the U23s at the first-team stadium.
“The spirits are high, everyone is pumped, and we’re playing at Carrow Road, so we’re looking to put a show on for all the fans who come to watch.
“Who wouldn’t want to play at Carrow Road? It’s a beautiful pitch and there’s fans there, so we really just want to perform for them and show what we’re about.”