Friday, March 14, marked a 50th appearance in all competitions for Kellen Fisher at Norwich City. Less than two years on from his summer move from then-Vanarama National League side Bromley, it’s been some rise for the young full-back.
Signed by the Canaries in June 2023, Fisher was initially brought in to play for the club’s Under-21s side but an impressive pre-season campaign under David Wagner saw the 20-year-old propelled into the first-team squad.
He marked his debut with the match-winning assist as his cross was met by the head of Jonathan Rowe with Norwich finishing as 1-0 winners away to Queens Park Rangers in the Carabao Cup.
Forty-nine games later, in a Sky Bet Championship fixture away to Bristol City, Fisher is firmly a regular in the second tier. But how did it all begin for the defender? On Non-League Day 2025, we take a look back at Fisher’s roots with Bromley.
“As soon as he came through the door, we could recognise that this boy has some talent,” Steve Aris said, Bromley first-team coach and Kellen’s former coach at Under-21s level.
“He's very slight, very small, not much of him. At the time, was playing right-wing. Then he was playing central midfield, and then he was playing up front. He joined our Under-18s squad immediately.
“I got a role as Under-21s manager here, and elevated him into the team as soon as I got that. And then, just on the off chance, we had this conversation about moving him and making him become a right-back.
“When he first looked at me and was in disgust and was like, ‘What you talking about?’ But within the first game, he went into one crunching tackle with someone and came out on top. And just from that moment, he found his position, and he kicked on from there.
“I would like to say that I'm an absolute genius, but we were a little bit short for one game. You've probably seen at Norwich, every time he steps on the pitch, he gives you everything. He just took to it and within the first 45 minutes – I think he all of a sudden found himself.”
Those thoughts were echoed by Soul Kader, one of Kellen’s former team-mates at Bromley and someone who came through at Hayes Lane at the same time. Joining Bromley’s post-16 academy at the same time, Kellen and Soul’s journeys saw them progress through the system
“He probably had Steve (Aris) and Jamel (Wojtczak) to thank for the position change because he didn't want to do it to begin with,” Soul said.
“When you start playing right-back, you could tell that was him. He was always better at defending than he was attacking! He was direct, he was strong and he was a good person as well. We clicked very well with the rest of the boys that we still keep in contact with now.
“It was surprising that he'd never been in academy or anything, that he came from grassroots football. We went through every stage together. We played for the Under-17s then we played in the FA Youth Cup, then we played in the Under-21s, and then he went on to the first team. And every level and every stage, he never looked out of place.
“Just by how quickly he adapted to the step up at each level, you could tell that he was going to go places. He was 18 and getting thrown in National League, which is not easy, especially with how physical the league is. The way he adapted he never looked out of place and he just kept pushing forward and pushing on.”
Making the step up to first-team football at Bromley was the next step for Kellen. Having impressed at youth level, the right-back made his debut for the Ravens in the FA Trophy against Dover Athletic.
National League football soon followed and he would eventually become a fully-fledged member of Bromley’s first-team squad. At only the age of 18, Fisher joined a squad of experienced players such as Michael Cheek and Callum Reynolds.
Club captain Byron Webster also formed part of the Bromley squad. An experienced Football League player with the likes of Millwall and Yeovil Town. A key figure in the dressing room, the 37-year-old played a big part in Kellen’s adaptation into Andy Woodman’s first-team.
“As a person, he was very, very quiet. Came in, did his thing and that was it,” Webster said.
“But then when it came to the games, he showed how tenacious and aggressive he was. Teams probably tried to isolate him, and put all the high balls on him, because he was little and they thought he wasn't able to deal with it, but he just had an unbelievable leap and would always give everything.
“I always think that with young players if you graft hard, your quality afterwards is an added bonus. That is what happened with Kellen. He grafted so hard he had to, he was probably isolated quite a lot in the early stages and then his quality shot through.
“A big thing for me was telling him to be more vocal, because he has a good footballing brain. He knows where he needs to be and what he needs to do and, if he opened his mouth more, he was able to become a leader himself. Even at his young age.
“But as the games went along and he played more in the first-team, he felt like he deserved to be playing with us. You then saw the character come out of him. Once the confidence comes, you see shoulders come back, head is held high and he was going into games believing that no one was getting by him.
“And if you're a young lad playing first-team football, no matter what level, teams are going to look at you.”
Twenty-seven appearances during the 2022/23 season, including two in the National League play-offs, would eventually lead to a summer of transfer interest. And in June 2023, Fisher made the move to Carrow Road and signed for Norwich.
Arriving to initially form part of the club’s academy side, the right-back arrived in NR1 in the same summer as Jack Stacey. Max Aarons, who had been away on international duty with England Under-21s, missed the start of pre-season under Wagner which opened a window of opportunity for Kellen.
After only a season of National League football, as well as prior loan spells at Welling United and Cray Wanderers, the 20-year-old was part of a Championship squad.
“Yeah, honestly, no surprise (with his move),” Aris said.
“I heard of interest from Norwich from a little while before he signed there. They gave Kellen a plan of how they see him, develop him and it seemed a real good suit for him, for a young player coming through. To be told his flat path like that, I think it gave him real confidence in signing for Norwich as there were a few options for him at the time.”
Both Soul and Byron agree with Steve, with both players thinking that Kellen was destined for great things and playing football at a higher level.
“He was in the manager's eye straight away,” Webster said. “Then the rest is up to him, and he's just proven how much of a good footballer he is. He had his chance and he's taken it, and that's credit to himself.
“And also, young lads should look at that and know, you can't be fearful nowadays. You need to believe in yourself, and you need to go and work hard. And your quality will shine through.
“If I'm honest, I didn't think he'd be a regular so early on in his Norwich days. So, he's proven me wrong. I’m not going to say he can get to here or he can get to there, whatever level Kellen wants to get to, he will.
“I hope he does sit back and look at it and think, you know what? Yeah, the coaches at Bromley put a lot of time into me, but so did I. He put a lot of time into himself to get where he had to be.”
It’s been some journey for Kellen in recent years. The young full-back has progressed into a Championship regular and England international, having played for the Three Lions at Under-20s level.
Fisher made his international debut for England’s Elite Development Squad in June 2024 against Sweden and is part of Ben Futcher’s squad for fixtures against Portugal and Switzerland this month.
Back at Bromley, former coach Steve spoke about his pride having seen Kellen make the step from non-league football at Hayes Lane to representing his country.
“That’s the pinnacle, isn’t it?” Aris said. “Everyone dreams of playing football for one, becoming a professional footballer for two, but to play for your country, that's a different level.
“Kellen was 16 and he came here having not even played in a professional academy before. That just shows that the right attitude and discipline throughout their careers, it's never over and they've always got an opportunity.
“And I think he's one to prove that it doesn't matter where you are when you're nine to 16. It matters where you are between 16 and 19, and how you move on, and where you're going to be.
“And playing for England at Under-20s level is exceptional for him. I hope the next step for him is getting into the Under-21s squad, which I'm no doubt that he will be able to do that step up and make it.”
Images: Martin Greig/Bromley FC, England