🔗 Share this article England U21 star Norton-Cuffy: ‘Vieira was great as a player and he’s a great manager now’ If there was a hidden ingredient to the cohesion among the England Under-21s players as they defended their European title this summer, the young full-back might have disclosed it: a group game called Werewolf. Introduced to the England first team setup during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, it pits a small informed group called the wolves against the uninformed majority known as the villagers as they aim to outwit each other to win, in a setup resembling the well-known series The Traitors. “Every night we played,” the defender explains. “It significantly strengthened our unity because you get to know people. In modern times when mobile phones are everywhere, you come together, you enjoy yourselves, you have a joke … the group was really, really tight, the collective was strong, and it showed during matches when we succeeded in winning the tournament.” This reflects the life of a young player that Lee Carsley’s squad had only limited time to celebrate their thrilling win over Germany before they dispersed. The defender’s situation involved traveling to Italy – his new side in August 2024 after a decade at Arsenal – before heading off on a well-deserved holiday. “Everything happened very fast, so I believe we perhaps missed fully celebrating it to the extent we deserved,” he says. “Yet I didn’t consider it was a shock for this group to go and win it. The squad thought: ‘We should win the tournament, and success was inevitable,’ so upon achieving it, it was like: ‘Alright, we succeeded, we’re proud of ourselves, break time, but now everyone’s got to go and rip up at their clubs.’” Serie A Impact He has undoubtedly brought that form into the Italian league. Despite missing a significant part of his debut campaign owing to injuries, the young English talent has secured a starting spot under ex-Arsenal captain Patrick Vieira and mentions being frequently acknowledged around the Italian city. They represent Italy’s first football club, created by a group of English settlers in 1893, and the recent away kit that he participated in marketing features the St George’s Cross in a nod to their heritage. “It seems a lot of Italians have identified with me in that way, because I’m English, and because of how the club was founded,” he says. “It’s strangely come together very nicely.” Football Journey The defender is emulating the footsteps of another flying full-back from the London area in Djed Spence, who played temporarily at Genoa on loan from Tottenham in 2024. The player chose to depart Arsenal after valuable experiences at Lincoln, Rotherham, Millwall and Coventry, declining opportunities from English top-flight clubs and Bundesliga outfits. “I wanted to come here, play and experience a different football approach, experience a new culture and place myself beyond what I know as my safe space, because staying in England would have been simpler. Yet I thought: ‘Time to test myself internationally. I want to experience different customs. Italy’s top division is renowned for defensive organization, structure, style of play. Therefore, I concluded: ‘I should join and develop my defensive skills, but also show what I can do offensively and add my unique flair to Italian football.’” Professional Routine Norton-Cuffy is known for energy-sapping sprints down the wing and attributes his stamina to a carb‑loading regime that starts three days before a match. His dietary intake are arranged by the team but he acquired cooking skills at Arsenal – among the capabilities young players are taught at the Hale End academy. “They helped me mature as a person, with stuff on the pitch and in personal development,” says Norton-Cuffy. “In North London, youth develop and developing continuously consistently. If you’re not learning about football, cooking lessons occur. It’s come in handy, definitely. The staff ensured you were doing your psychology work, similar aspects. During matches, clearly, standards are high: quality demands are supreme, so it definitely assisted my development out a lot.” Manager Impact Genoa have made a difficult beginning, earning just two points in five matches but working with the legend remains an ideal situation for Norton-Cuffy. He credits the ex-international, who replaced Alberto Gilardino last November, for improving his positional skills: “As a footballer, he excelled, he’s a great manager now and he’s helped me a lot since his arrival. The aim remains to climb the table. First we need to secure our position, I think it is, guarantee our status, and then look from there, but I think this group is capable of achieving positive results.” England Aspirations Shortly after England’s European victory, Carsley was targeting a three-peat for the young Lions in 2027. The defender, who featured in the junior selection that won their European title in 2022, is likely to feature the under-21s’ qualifiers against Moldova and Andorra in October and says Carsley has also been a major influence on his career. “When facing obstacles last year, he would take the time to contact me, advise: ‘Continue pushing, you understand your ability,’ give you a little pep talk. He’s always there. While representing England’s youth, the message is repeated constantly: success means graduating the target is the main squad. So it’s dependent on my contributions internationally and my domestic performances. I must drive myself forward and that’s on me.”