As part of EFL Youth Development Week, Norwich City lead Under-21 coach Olly Lee talks through his journey from an academy player at West Ham United, life as a professional and his journey into coaching
In November 2024, Norwich's academy coaching set-up was given a shake-up that saw the appointment of Lee as the club's lead Under-21s coach.
Having had prior coaching roles at both Ipswich Town and Tottenham Hotspur, it was his first step into coaching at Under-21 level and joined a coaching set-up that had been led by Alan Neilson.
Now nearly a year into the job, Lee says he is enjoying the step up to life at the Avant Training Centre.
"It's been a real step up for me and I've really enjoyed that. It's something I'm looking to grow and keep expanding and just keep learning every day. We try and preach to the boys about getting better every day and that's exactly what I'm trying to do myself.
"Loads of lessons learned for me as a coach. Obviously, results from last season, we didn't win as many games as we want and that's something we're looking towards. I know it's not the be all and end all with Under-21s football, but it's something that I believe the players need to do if they're going to be professionals.
"You have to be competitive every day. You have to be looking to win games. Otherwise, what's the point in doing what we're doing? To be honest, that's what it's about. Loads of things to learn for myself, for us as a team, for the boys as individuals. It's an exciting time to be part of the club."
"The staff have been amazing. First, Alan Neilson has been excellent for me to work with. I've learnt so much from him and he's been brilliant to have alongside me. Then everyone else from Joe (Shulberg) and Dean (Rastrick) above me. Gill (Jenkins), Dec (Rudd), I don't want to miss anyone out, Sam (Rogers), everyone's been amazing.
"We've had a lot of change over the time. I think we've had a couple of different analysts, a couple of different sports scientists. So, there's been a lot of change, a lot of coming and going and it's nice to have a settled team now and with the new management staff coming in, who have been brilliant with me so far.
"I want to learn as much as possible from them and pick things up. How do they do that? What does that look like? Just trying to ask as many questions as possible and pick up from what's a really experienced staff with a lot of years coaching and just something I'm looking forward to learning more from."
Still early on in his coaching career, Lee's journey as a coach began whilst he was still playing. Combining his League One football with Gillingham, he was also coaching at Tottenham.
And the 34-year-old still has the passion for football and wants to help younger players make that step into first-team and professional football.
"It's quite new but while I was still playing, I was coaching in Tottenham's academy. So, I was juggling playing League One to coaching Under-13s and it was something I just really enjoyed doing. Then I had to retire completely out of the blue, to be honest, through medical issues.
"So, I was lucky that I had it and I had a passion for it. And one thing sort of led to the next, that I've just ended up here and I kind of pinch myself sometimes how I've got to this point. But I love what I do. I enjoy being on the grass with the boys. I miss being able to play as much, but this is the next best thing. I'm able to help these young lads in the start of their career and hopefully give them some good grounding, some good lessons that I've learned from it to take them on to a long, successful career.
"That's part of the buzz for me. I want to get better every day at this. That was a big part of me as a player, was trying to get better every day. And it's a big part of me as a manager and as a coach that I want to keep improving and who knows where it can take you."
Football was in Lee's upbringing. His dad, Rob Lee, a former England international and known for a notable spell with Newcastle United. His brother, Elliot, played alongside Olly at Luton Town and is currently part of Wrexham's midfield.
A product of the West Ham United academy, his footballing journey started at a place known for its emphasis on young players.
"West Ham was massive for me. Obviously, my upbringing was full of football, watching my dad play, my brother plays. I didn't get into the academy until I was 15, whereas my brother had been there since eight or nine. So, I was quite a late developer in that sense.
"I also think that helps me because I've always had to chase the so-called better players that I thought were in the pack and the ones I had to go after. That's been a big part of my mentality, I've got to get the next bit and I've got to get the next bit.
"West Ham was an amazing upbringing. Tony Carr, obviously a legend of development and football coaching. He was really, really good with me. I saw a lot of good players, I met Scott Parker at the time, Mark Noble, for a centre midfielder to learn from, He was incredible. Gianfranco Zola was the manager when I was around the first team the most and he was brilliant with me.
"So, you've got legends of the game that you're trying to pick things up from. To be fair, looking back, I wish I wrote more down and took more notes, but you're young and you don't realise. But I reflect on it as an amazing part of my journey and it's a club that I'm very fond of."
"I'd like to think I can pass a lot of the knowledge on that you've been in their shoes. I'm getting older now, but you can still remember what you felt like. Even now, when the boys are going to train with Josh Sargent. This is an American international who scored goals in the Premier League. You might be starstruck and I know I've been there and I've done it.
"Like I said with Scott Parker, I wish I'd asked him even more questions and done more. I try and get the boys to grab the player in your position and just ask them questions. What did you do? How did you feel? What's it like playing in that game? Because players always want to give back.
"I think young players are often too shy and they want to look too cool. I try and get our boys to go on, go and ask it. What's the worst that's going to happen? If you don't ask the question, you'll never get the answer."
His playing career took him from the likes of Birmingham City, Luton Town and Hearts, before he ended his career with Gillingham.
In February 2023, he called time on his playing career due to injury and continued his passion for coaching, something that would eventually lead him to his role at Norwich.
But despite ending prematurely, the 34-year-old says he can be proud of what he achieved as a player and is looking forward to his journey as a coach.
"I think I can look back now with pride that it happened and I think finishing at 31 was a big shock to the system. It's impacted me quite a lot because I thought I'd play until I was 40. I was going to drag it out, I never had any pace anyway, so I was going to trot around in the middle of the park for years to come!
"It's been a painful journey for how it ended, but really good. It's shaped me as a coach, shaped me as a person, the experiences that I've been through, the ups, the downs, the highs, the lows. I'm very thankful for it. I'm very grateful for it and I'm excited for where my coaching journey can go.
"When I was coming through and finding my way at Luton, I remember I got dropped out of the squad. This is what I try and speak to the boys about. People don't usually say the bad things, but I got dropped out of the squad, didn't know where my career was going to go.
"So, I went back to my old school and started coaching just for free, just to help out. And looking back, I guess it was like a safety net, but I didn't think of it as that. I just enjoyed football and loved being around it. I love being on the grass and love trying to improve people. It might sound a bit corny, but I just enjoy being out there.
"I started doing my badges when I was up in Scotland and when I came back down, I set up my own coaching company. Later, I got involved with Tottenham's youth team whilst playing at Gillingham and it just sort of all snowballed and it's got me here and long may it continue.
"I probably didn't find the balance and probably went too much into my coaching. My body was giving up on me at this time and I think I didn't want to admit it. I just enjoyed the buzz of being around young players who are hungry and energetic. And I just enjoyed being around that enthusiasm because that's what a lot of my coaching is about, energy and being around it and trying to get a good feel about the play.
"The buzz that the kids gave me when you see their little smiles and they've just smashed one top corner was brilliant. It was what's inspired me on this journey."
As Lee mentioned, his first steps into coaching came at his former school before he eventually combined League One football with a part-time role at Tottenham.
The 34-year-old held various part-time roles within the youth set-up at Spurs, eventually becoming a full-time coach in July 2023. During that time, he also brought his playing career to an end.
Working within the Tottenham academy gave him the first taste of coaching within a professional club environment, with Lee later going on to become Under-18s lead coach at Ipswich Town.
"I worked with some brilliant people. Bradley Allen, is one, who's been there (Spurs) for years and worked very closely with Harry Kane. You're seeing the best of the best working in an elite environment.
"Spurs were brilliant because they just let me try things, they let me make mistakes, they let me learn and they would guide me on the journey. I still speak to a lot of them now because they're big influences on my early career coaching and how I coach and the best ways I think you can coach.
"Obviously, being at Tottenham, you got to see elite-level players. Mikey Moore was in my first group at Tottenham and it was incredible. You would take it for granted, you think that's the norm and then you're seeing these boys at different levels. He was an elite talent and a really good lad too.
"My first full-time role was the Under-13s, but I'd go in with the Under-18s and the Under-21s during the day and then coach in the evenings with the Under-13s. I knew I wanted to work with older players and I know eventually I want to work with first-team players one day.
"It was the next step in the right direction for me (going to Ipswich). Then going there, you realise nothing changes from Under-13s to Under-18s to Under-21s. They're all young lads that want to play football and want to get better. As long as you can inspire them on that journey, you don't need to worry about the age too much.
"It's all football and it's how you can inspire lads to want to run around and have fun and enjoy it because that's why we all play in the first place. It's fun and sometimes people forget that, you've got to keep the enjoyment in it."
Now firmly settled into life at Norwich, Lee says the goal for him and the club is to see as many debuts as possible.
"Being an Under-21s manager, you want to push the guys on into the first team and you want to see debuts. You want to see all these moments that fill fans with pride and fill managers with pride. I think that's the big goal for us this season, how many people can we get, or players can we get, good enough to put the yellow shirt on and go and represent Norwich.
"That would be a real highlight for me if we could get one or two through, but we know how hard it is and we know the quality we've got in the first team.
"For us to do that, we have to do our work every day in the Under-21s. We have to win games, we have to get results, good performances and hopefully put them in the manager's eye line that, yes, we've got one here, give them a go and we'll keep pushing that."