Norwich City struck gold with £250k transfer in 2008 for class act who was still playing in 2024
ITV stated that the playmaker moved from Blackpool to the Canaries in 2008 for a mere £250,000.
This ended up being the finest £250,000 the club has ever spent, as the Irishman would go on to play a significant role for the team for ten years.
It was an amazing journey to get to the point where Hoolahan left in 2018 after finishing in 14th position in the
second division, having switched to Carrow Road with the squad in the championship.
After leaving the Norfolk team, the 42-year-old has remarkably continued to play football, and early this year he was
still playing in the lower echelons of the English football hierarchy after joining Doncaster.
| Wes Hoolahan – Norwich City league goals and appearances (per Fbref.com) | ||||
| Season | Appearances (Starts) | Goals (Assists) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008-09 | 32 (27 | 2 (3) | ||
| 2009-10 | 37 (36) | 11 (13) | ||
| 2010-11 | 41 (36) | 10 (9) | ||
| 2011-12 | 33 (25) | 4 (7) | ||
| 2012-13 | 33 (28) | 3 (3) | ||
| 2013-14 | 16 (10) | 1 (1) | ||
| 2014-15 | 36 (27) | 4 (10) | ||
| 2015-16 | 30 (25) | 4 (8) | ||
| 2016-17 | 33 (30) | 7 (10) | ||
| 2017-18 | 29 (14) | 1 (3) | ||
Wes Hoolahan’s importance to Norwich City
Hoolahan’s first season in Norwich didn’t exactly go as planned; the squad finished in 22nd place and was relegated
from the competition.
The inventive midfielder made 32 appearances during a challenging first 12 months with the team, tallying two goals and three assists.
But the next season, he solidified his position as a vital member of the team by recording 11 goals and 13 assists,
helping Paul Lambert’s team win League One on their first try.
They earned back-to-back promotions the following season after placing second in the championship. Hoolahan
scored ten goals and provided nine assists, demonstrating his importance once more.
After playing in League One only two years earlier, the Republic of Ireland international went on to make 112
appearances in the top flight for the Canaries over the course of four of the following five seasons, helping the team
reach a high point of 11th place in the 2012–13 season. He did this with ease and impressiveness as he adjusted to life in the Premier League.
He helped the squad immediately return to the top after being relegated, contributing 12 goals and 19 assists during that time, as well as four and ten in the Championship in 2014–15.
Norwich fans will remember Wes Hoolahan with fondness.
With an electrifying style of play that had the crowd on their feet practically every week, Hoolahan leaves behind a legacy at Norwich that fans will always cherish.
He scored a lot of goals on his own and helped the squad maintain a steady presence in the top division for four years thanks to his inventiveness.
He made Norwich his home after playing for Livingston and Blackpool after migrating to English football in 2005. Players with his kind of promise don’t come along very often.
His continued participation this year, albeit at a somewhat reduced level, demonstrates his commitment to the sport and entertaining the public.
He has begun reversing the years in the 11th tier earlier in 2024, but not many people can continue after the age of 40.
Even though his departure from Norwich in 2018 came at the ideal moment, they undoubtedly received value for the staggering £250,000 they spent to acquire him all those years prior.
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