Norwich City are delighted to confirm that Under-21s player Joe Duffy has been awarded a place on the Premier League Futures Programme.
The programme will bring together a group of diverse, bright, and driven young people, from across the range of Premier League and WSL clubs, with the aim of improving pathways for their careers beyond playing and to maximise their chances for success both on and off the pitch.
The requirements of the programme were to have a strong academic background and work ethic alongside being able to handle the challenges faced in an elite environment.
During Duffy's two-year scholarship with the academy, he gained the equivalent of three A\*s at A level, a qualification for his apprenticeship in Sporting Excellence Professional Football Level 3 and his UEFA C coaching badge. Duffy was one of 10 applicants selected for the programme, amongst hundreds put forward.
When asked about being part of the programme, Duffy said: "When I first heard about the PL Futures programme, it was an opportunity that I had to take after hearing what the 12-month course was about and what I could learn; how I would grow as a person and learn from the people I'm going to meet and work with.
"I am very grateful for the members of staff here who mentioned my name as a candidate and thankful to the Premier League for recognising this and I'm glad my hard work has paid off. From the programme, my aim is to take every opportunity that it will offer to develop me on and off the pitch and possibly find another pathway to pursue along side my passion for football."
Joe Shulberg, academy manager, said: "We’re delighted and proud that Joe has made the choice to challenge himself further in the game. The PL Futures is a unique programme that will stretch Joe holistically and build on the character skills that he has formed leading up to today.
"We look forward to supporting Joe on this additional branch to his journey that will ultimately fulfil even more life-enriching experiences for him, of which we fundamentally believe in providing for all our boys at the academy as often as possible. Joe will be a standout candidate, and we all look forward to seeing him grow further within the programme."