Express & Star

Wolves sign goalkeeper Will Norris

Wolves have completed the signing of goalkeeper Will Norris from Cambridge United.

Published
Last updated

The 23-year-old has joined for an undisclosed fee and signed a three-year contract with the option of another season in Wolves' favour.

Norris is expected to be understudy to fellow new keeper – and another former Cambridge player – John Ruddy.

He expressed his delight at sealing his big move: "Wolves are an absolute giant of a club – I drove all the way here with a smile on my face and am really excited about what lies ahead.

"This is a fantastic opportunity at a fantastic football club and was something I just couldn’t say no to.

"I have been playing regularly for Cambridge over the last 18 months or so and now know I have a battle for a place which is a great challenge.

"I used to watch John a lot growing up – he used to play for Cambridge United as well – and it is going to be great for me to be working with him at Wolves.

"Cambridge have been fantastic with me both throughout my career and also the process of this move.

"They brought the right people in to develop me and it has been a fantastic experience for me.

"I am a little bit sad to be leaving but obviously I am leaving for a great opportunity and a new challenge here at Wolves."

Norris has been first choice keeper with the League Two club for the past 18 months.

He worked his way up from non-league football, starting out with Hatfield Town and Royston Town before joining Cambridge in 2012.

Norris, who's featured 92 times for the Us, played at Molineux last season and saved a penalty from James Henry in a 2-1 League Cup win for Wolves.

He will now fly out to Austria to join up with the rest of the squad and begin working under goalkeeping coach Rui Barbosa.

“I have been told about the goalkeepers the coach here has worked with and he has a massively impressive CV, Norris added.

“It will be good to get out to Austria and be together as a squad for a good week or so.

“It was nice to save the penalty – but we lost the game so it didn’t really matter!

“I saved a few last season and got a bit of attention for those penalty saves although I’d rather we hadn’t given them away.

“Hopefully the fans who were there at Molineux might just remember me and I am looking forward now to trying to get in the team and having them on my side."

The need to reinforce the goalkeeping department increased with last week's devastating news about Carl Ikeme's leukaemia diagnosis, but Wolves were already in the market for keepers with Andy Lonergan expected to leave in the near future.

Lonergan wasn't with the squad that travelled to Austria on Monday, with Harry Burgoyne and Scottish Under-21 international Jack Ruddy joining John Ruddy on the flight.