Norwich City won back-to-back promotions in 2010 and 2011. From League 1 to the Premier League in the space of two years. Paul Lambert was the man who took us on this incredible journey but it was the players who also deserve an honourable mention for the work they did. In the 2010/2011 season, City finished 2nd place behind QPR in 1st. A few players from the squad of that season remain in the Norwich team to this date, however, most have ventured elsewhere. Let’s take a look at the squad and where they serve at currently.
John Ruddy – Still at Norwich
Goalkeeper John Ruddy was signed by Paul Lambert in August 2010 from Everton. It’s fair to say that Ruddy was unknown by almost everyone and didn’t have the best season in a Norwich shirt. As seasons have gone on Ruddy impressed in each one of them and little did the Canary fans in 2010 think Ruddy would one day receive an England cap. Despite not being a fan favourite that campaign, Ruddy still managed 11 clean sheets.
Russell Martin – Also still at Norwich
Norwich’s current captain and ever present defender Russell Martin played 50 games for the Canaries in the entire 2010/2011 campaign filling in the right-back position. Despite him playing as a centre back now, Martin still had a very good season. He picked up five goals that season, and the most known of them would be the 90th-minute equaliser against Cardiff City and also the third goal of five against Ipswich. Martin has so far made well over 200 appearances for the club. In that time, he has regularly been picked for the Scotland national team.
Leon Barnett – Currently at Wigan Athletic
Centre-back Leon Barnett was City’s main defender that season despite joining the club in January. It was an initial loan from West Brom that was made permanent soon after. He made just over 20 appearances for the Canaries. Barnett also featured the following Premier League season but in 2013, he made a loan move to Cardiff City as his game time for Norwich became very limited. He was a fan favourite in South Wales however his loan move was not permanent. Later that year, Barnett did conplete a permanent move away from Carrow Road but it was to Wigan Athletic. So far at his current club he has made 63 appearances scoring 5 goals. Barnett was definitely a key part of winning promotion.
Elliott Ward – Bournemouth (on loan at Huddersfield)
Elliott Ward was City’s other centre-back that made the most appearances throughout that campaign. Joining from Coventry prior to that season, the centre-half was strong, tall and consistent. He scored one goal that season against Millwall, however, the following season Ward was rarely used. In one of his few appearances, he made a fateful mistake against Liverpool allowing Suarez to score arguably the goal of the season at Carrow Road. Clearly he was out of his depth.
In 2012, he was loaned out to Nottingham Forest to get some more game-time after he became out of favour at the club. He had a successful loan spell at Forest but the move was not made permanent. In 2013, Ward made the move down south to Bournemouth where he started to play more games. The same scenario has happened however and Ward has fallen down the pecking order, now currently serving out on loan at Huddersfield.
Marc Tierney – Retired
Left-back Marc Tierney joined the club from Colchester United midway through the season and came straight into the first team making a big impact since joining. A fan of Paul Lambert’s, Tierney made just under 20 appearances since his arrival and is profoundly known for his cartwheels. The City left back performed the moves at Portsmouth and at Carrow Road. It’s fair to say Tierney was a character. After his game time was altered in the Premier League he made a move to Bolton Wanderers. There he made a good start at the club but suffered an injury causing him to retire. Tierney never scored in a Norwich shirt, but he did play a big role in winning promotion. Here he is flying the flag at celebrations on the final game of the season.
David Fox – Crewe Alexandra
Perhaps one of City’s best passers in their history. David Fox signed for Norwich ahead of the 2010/2011 campaign which City fans knew him for one thing. His free kick for Colchester in our 7-1 defeat at home a few years back. Anyway, let’s not talk about that but let’s acknowledge how bigger part David Fox played in City’s bid for promotion. ‘Foxy’ made 35 appearances for Norwich that season and was up there with one of City’s best players that campaign. He provided Simeon Jackson with one of the most important assists that season. Scoring only one goal for the club, Fox continued to perform in the Premier League and made 32 appearances. Since Paul Lambert departed, Fox’s place in the squad was lost and sometimes he couldn’t even make the bench. He had a short loan spell at Barnsley before re-joining Colchester last season after his contract expired. He played a key part in Colchester staying up last season but moved to Crewe Alexandra in the summer.
Andrew Crofts – Brighton and Hove Albion
Crofts joined Norwich in the summer of 2010 from Brighton for an undisclosed fee. The midfielder made 48 appearances in the Championship scoring 8 goals. His best of those was arguably the Fashanu-style goal against Barnsley. He spent two years at the club before joining Brighton again in 2012. Currently under former Norwich boss Chris Hughton, Crofts has failed to make an appearance after sustaining a serious knee injury.
Andrew Surman – Bournemouth
Surman made 22 appearances in the 2010/2011 season after arriving from Southampton in the summer. Surman was predominantly a central midfielder however he was oftenly used out wide. He scored 3 goals that season. Surman was a regular in the Premier League also but under Chris Hughton he failed to find a way into the squad and was loaned out to Bournemouth. He had one season there on loan and proved to be a very successful signing for the Cherries. After Norwich’s relegation to the Championship in 2014, Surman started the first game against Wolves as most fans thought he found a way back into the squad however he was then sold to Bournemouth. He played a key part in getting promotion to the Premier League with Bournemouth, the same as he did with Norwich. Surman has started every game for the Cherries so far this season.
Wes Hoolahan – Still at Norwich
Of course, Wes Hoolahan would have a mention in this squad. The City legend has been through it all in Norfolk during his seven years at the club. For the 2010/2011 campaign, Wes made 44 appearances scoring 10 goals. His best of those would be the long-range half-volley against Leicester. The Irishman has been at City since 2007 and at the age of 33 he still has his touch of magic. Definitely an all time City legend.
Simeon Jackson – Barnsley
Jackson joined from Gillingham in 2010 and was the man who gave Norwich City promotion to the Premier League in 2011. It was his crucial header against Portsmouth that clinched the three points enough to secure promotion. Jackson made 40 appearances for the club scoring 13 goals. He scored a hat-trick against Derby in what is probably the most entertaining and dramatic Norwich City game there’s been as well as a hat-trick against Scunthorpe. Jackson did manage to play in the Premier League for a few seasons but left the club in 2013 and joined Eintracht Braunshweig in the Bundesliga. In one season with the German club he failed to make 10 appearances and returned to England with Millwall in 2014. That same year he joined Coventry and now in 2015 Jackson plays for Barnsley.
Grant Holt – Wigan Athletic
City’s main man Grant Holt did exactly the same if not better to what he did in League 1 with Norwich in 2011. He scored 23 goals in 48 appearances that season and was Norwich’s POTS. His best goals include his hat-trick against Ipswich and Scunthorpre. He kept on scoring in the Premier League and became the POTS for the next year also. Holt sn’t the same person under Chris Hughton and left the club in 2014 to join Wigan Athletic. He started brilliantly scoring even more goals however Holt lost his place in the team when Uwe Rosler arrived at the club. Holt was loaned up a league to Aston Villa, a chance to play under Paul Lambert again. Holt returned to Wigan and was loaned to Huddersfield where Holt started to play more. Holt suffered a serious injury playing for Huddersfield and hasn’t played since January. He is set to return this month.
Other notable players that season were Henri Lansbury, Dani Pacheco, Adam Drury and Chris Martin.
Well there you have it, a look at City’s squad from the 2010/2011 promotion winning campaign. 4 years on and Norwich City Football Club are still providing us with a rollercoaster of emotions.
