Norwich City U21s: Emmanuel Adegboyega academy analysis

Pedro Lima was making his debut for Norwich City’s under-21s, having signed for the club on an initial loan deal from Brazilian side Palmeiras days earlier.

The intrigue surrounding Lima’s temporary transfer to a development side was the main thread leading into the young Canaries’ meeting with highly-regarded Chelsea at Carrow Road, and all other storylines had fallen by the wayside going into the game.

The man who quickly took centre stage, however, was Emmanuel Adegboyega, or Manny, as he told the Pink Un his friends call him post-match.

The centre-back was signed from League of Ireland side Drogheda United this summer as one of numerous additions alongside Lima, and has already made waves in yellow and green.

Just two minutes into the game he outmuscled key Chelsea man Leo Castledine, leaving his opponent on the turf and emerging with the ball to start a City attack.

The positive features continued, and it became clear midway through the opening period that the 19-year-old was very comfortable receiving the ball in tight situations.

By the 38th minute he’d made a more tangible impact on the game, his dominant header looping into the far corner after Gabriel Forsyth’s crossed free-kick found him. Twelve minutes into the second half he headed off the line to preserve his side’s lead.

Adegboyega towers a defender to score against Chelsea's under-21s. (Image: Izzy Poles)

These weren’t the signs of a man who had taken time adjusting, but Adegboyega admitted he’d had to get used to operations in Norfolk.

“At the start it was kind of hard settling in,” he said. “New environment and stuff like that. But after training and playing with the squad, it made it easier to settle in.

“The lads, the staff, everyone has been welcoming to me, so I was very pleased.”

Off the pitch, needing time to adjust to the 430-mile move from Ireland to East Anglia is certainly understandable. On it, the adaptation has taken no time at all.

Scan any social media post discussing the starlet and you’ll find League of Ireland supporters assuring unfamiliar fans that youth football is a step below what he’s capable of. Adegboyega does, after all, have 22 senior appearances to his name already.

That’s why he’s found the jump to Premier League 2 a fairly comfortable one, and why he’s got first-team recognition on his mind already.

“Moving from the League of Ireland to the under-21s, I’m not going to say it was an easy move,” he continued. “But the League of Ireland definitely helped me settle quickly and easily into Premier League 2 and under-21s football.

“I’ve brought the way I played in Ireland here, and it’s definitely helped, certainly.

“Of course, I’m trying to break into the first team, and establish myself there. I just have to keep working, and hopefully I’m closer than I actually think.

“I can’t say I’m used to this stadium; it’s very, very big. It was very good to play here, hopefully more games to come here, not only with the 21s but with the first team as well.”

The 19-year-old already has ambitions of breaking into City's first team. (Image: Izzy Poles)

Continue performing the way he has, and those appearances can’t be far away. His header ended up being the winner in a 3-2 win over Chelsea, and he repeated the trick against Leicester City a week later.

This is a man already seen as a coup behind the scenes when he was brought in, with West Ham and Crystal Palace circling. After such a positive start he’s surely commanding the attention of those in charge of making decisions at Colney.

Under-21s captain Jaden Warner is someone who’s done just that, and in the same position he’ll provide a roadblock for Adegboyega.

But with all of City’s frontline centre-backs over 30 and one out injured until next year, there’s certainly an opportunity to be grasped in David Wagner’s senior group.

The German’s standards are high, but the early signs suggest Adegboyega could be the man to grasp that sliver of opportunity.