Cambridge United can today confirm the Club have agreed an undisclosed fee with Championship side Wolverhampton Wanderers for goalkeeper Will Norris.
Having signed for the Club as an 18-year old in July 2012 from local side Royston Town, Will has developed into the one of the most exciting young shot stoppers in the EFL.
After making his first team debut against Tamworth in 2014, Norris featured in the U’s return to the Football League, as well as playing in both the semi-finals and the Wembley final of the FA Trophy triumph in 2014.
The Club then allowed Norris to continue building his first team experience by utilising the loan system with Braintree Town at the start of the 2015/16 campaign, where he quickly impressed Head Coach Shaun Derry, who brought the keeper back to the U’s in January to secure the number one shirt for the remainder of the season.
Since then the 23-year old has cemented his place between the posts, keeping 23 clean sheets in 75 English Football League appearances for the U’s over the course of the last 18 months.
Cambridge United CEO Jez George, who along with Ben Strang brought Norris to the Club from Royston Town, commented: “The Club’s policy is to sign young players with potential, by developing them within our Academy as well as recruiting them externally. The environment we strive to create within the First Team focusses on the individual development of our players so they can work towards fulfilling their potential during their time at Cambridge United. In this case, the opportunity for Will with a Championship club is too good for us to act in any other way than to secure the right fee for the Club and allow Will to leave with our best wishes.
“From a playing perspective, it is disappointing to lose him, and off the field he has represented the Club impeccably and with real class. Will is an outstanding young man, genuinely cares about and respects the Club and we should all be proud of the role Cambridge United played in his development, as should Royston Town before us.
“The fact that we have so many young players admired by bigger clubs, both within our Academy and First Team, shows the philosophy of our Football Operation. Our job is to ensure they leave at the right time for the right deal, so that we can continue to reinvest in the playing squad and achieve the sustainable long-term success that we all desire.”