Ipswich Town figure set to make move to bitter rivals Norwich City | OneFootball

Norwich City are set to appoint Olly Lee as part of their academy staff, with the coach joining from Ipswich Town.

Norwich City are expected to appoint Olly Lee as part of their academy staff, with the coach poised to join the Norfolk outfit from bitter rivals Ipswich Town.

The 33-year-old is a name that many fans will recognise, as he had a playing career that saw him feature for the likes of Hearts, Birmingham and Luton Town, among others.

After retiring in 2023, Lee turned to coaching, and he landed a role with Ipswich, where he became U18 coach.

However, TWTD has revealed that Lee is expected to be on the move, as they state he will join Norwich, taking up a role as part of the academy staff.

Olly Lee can help Norwich City

This is an exciting appointment for Norwich, as Lee is a talented young coach, and the fact he was recently involved in the game as a player means he can offer a different perspective to other coaches.

It should also ensure that he commands the respect of the younger lads, who will be striving to make a name for themselves in the game, and they will see Lee as an example, as they look to have established careers as professionals - and ideally with Norwich.

So, it’s a good opportunity for Lee to show what he can do with the next batch of players coming through at Norwich, and it will be interesting to see how it works out.

The fact he was with Ipswich suggests he is well-regarded as a coach despite his lack of experience, so it will have to be viewed as a coup for Norwich.

This is another example of Norwich putting a focus on youth, and it’s the right approach, because the importance of the academy for clubs like the Canaries can’t be understated.

In the modern game, it’s vital that you develop your own players, both for financial and sporting reasons.

Jon Rowe is the obvious success story at Carrow Road, with the youngster forcing his way into the first-team squad. He had a breakthrough last season and secured a big-money move to Marseille.

Whilst the manner of his departure was a disappointment, there’s no denying he was a huge success for Norwich on the whole, as he made his mark on the team and was sold for a hefty profit.

Of course, it’s difficult to produce players of that level, but that’s the challenge for the academy, and Lee will hope to play his part in shaping the next generation for the Norfolk outfit.

Norwich City are heading in the right direction

Overall, Norwich are in a decent position in terms of the state of the club.

Johannes Hoff Thorup had to deal with a lot in the summer following his appointment, but, after a slow start, the team are playing the way he wants, and they are in the mix to reach the play-offs, even if it’s early days.

Away from that, they are a well-run club, the support is there, and the challenge is for the side to reach the Premier League, which has to be the aim over the next few years.