Norwich City: Kellen Fisher setting example for youngsters

It's been a whirlwind few months for Kellen Fisher, whose remarkable rise from non-league to national attention hit another milestone when he joined up with the Young Lions for the first time.

Anyone who's witnessed his ascent in yellow and green this season will understand that, after a series of performances that have belied both his years and relative inexperience. He's kept a seasoned and reliable operator in Jack Stacey out of the City side, making fans of both the Carrow Road faithful and head coach Johannes Hoff Thorup in the process.

"I think he's taken that position and made it his position, which is also a big part of why we choose him at the moment," said the Dane of his charge last month. "He plays like he's been in the Championship for many years, which is also quite positive to see.

"His aggressiveness defensively has actually surprised me a little bit. We could see that maybe he would struggle a little bit with his physicality, but I don't really think that's been an issue."

Johannes Hoff Thorup has been impressed by Fisher (Image: Paul Chesterton/Focus Images Ltd) But it hasn't all been plain sailing for the right-back, who's had to come through his fair share of adversity at Norwich to be where he is now.

There was the half-time substitution at Cardiff, for example, just a year and a day before he was promoted to that under-21 squad. With the Canaries trailing and David Wagner's job hanging by a thread, he was the one sacrificed in favour of Stacey.

The same happened just over a month later with the scores level against struggling Sheffield Wednesday, and he played only 19 Championship minutes from then until the end of the play-off semi-final defeat by Leeds in May this year.

After a rapid move to the senior team and a pre-season that created understandable heaps of hype, Fisher spent months biding his time, adapting to the standard and even playing for the City development squad to retain match sharpness. Even though many could see his talent, it took time for him to mature into a fully fledged first-team option.

It's not all been plain sailing for the right-back (Image: Paul Chesterton/Focus Images Ltd) In that sense there's a lesson that applies to the current crop of young players yet to make a first-team spot their own under Thorup, both for the players themselves and for those losing patience already.

Consistency isn't as easy as it seems, and it's a slow process even for someone now as key to the side as Fisher has become. Much like many of those on the fringes at present, there were moments of disappointment and even ones where some questioned his potential.

Apply that to Oscar Schwartau or Amankwah Forson, for example, and the rush to see immediate signs of stardom might not be quite as necessary as it feels amid the current injury crisis.

Schwartau has proven his ability to turn into midfield, to change the tempo of play and to add some thrust to the Norwich attack at his best. Forson has produced performances that may be months ago now but were better than anything Fisher offered in his first season. Ante Crnac finished with aplomb against Stoke, Ben Chrisene is yet to turn in a noticeably poor showing and Gabriel Forsyth appears to grow in confidence with every game.

City's recent form has been a reminder that patience is needed at present, but Fisher is a fine example of what the rewards can be. As another achievement is added to his growing CV, he isn't short of team-mates keen to step up and prove they're next.