Norwich City made one of their best ever decisions on 26th June 2008: View | OneFootball

Wes Hoolahan was an inspired signing by Norwich City in the summer of 2008.

Highlights

In modern-day football, loyalty is a rare gift that a minimal amount of people in the sport evidence.

The affluent state of football means that if a player is performing well, then there will always be a team that are willing to pay more than you are.

Despite this, a player that displayed unrelenting loyalty was Wes Hoolahan. The midfielder signed for Norwich City from Blackpool in 2008 and went on to feature heavily over a ten-year spell at Carrow Road.

His performances on the pitch could have often warranted a move to a higher club, but he stayed and became a club legend in the process.

Hoolahan's path to Norwich City

Hoolahan's path to the Canaries began in his native country of Ireland, where he was a key figure for Shelbourne over four years.

Having learned his trade, the performances he displayed began to attract interest and Livingston brought him to the shores of Britain. After just 16 games at Livi, Blackpool offered the midfielder a chance to join them on loan in League One.

After helping them get promoted, the Tangerines would sign Hoolahan permanently despite issues with his parent club, who argued that Blackpool had failed to honour the loan conditions.

His time in the North-West continued to be a resounding success, and 12 goal contributions in the second-tier sparked interest from Norwich City.

The East Anglians offered Blackpool a player-plus-cash deal which saw the Canaries' second-choice goalkeeper Matt Gilks go to Bloomfield Road and the Tangerines received a fee of £250,000, according to ITV.

At the time, Norwich fans must have just seen it as a regular signing, but little did they know that the 26th of June 2008 would be remembered as the day they purchased Wes Hoolahan.

Wes Hoolahan's brilliance at Norwich City

Often termed "The Irish Messi", Hoolahan's 10-year spell at Norwich City was one of pure excellence.

His first season was asymptomatic of his time at the Canaries as they were relegated to the third-tier with the Irishman hindered by an injury-hit campaign.

However, the following year, his ability was on full show as he made a move up the pitch to feature just behind the striker. That season he managed 11 goals and 13 assists in the league as the East Anglians returned to the Championship at the first time of asking.

He'd continue his success the following season, as Norwich made it two consecutive promotions and Hoolahan got double figures in league goals once again.

The Premier League was somewhat of a step-up, but it didn't deter the maestro as he provided 11 contributions as City finished in 12th place.

Having built on this again the season after, 2013-14 would prove one of Hoolahan's most disappointing years at Carrow Road. During that campaign, his lack of inclusion in the team due to injuries and selection saw Norwich finish in the relegation places, condemning them to Championship football.

The following years saw Hoolahan continue to create for his side, with assists becoming somewhat of his trademark. Between 2014-15 and 2016-17, he managed 30 assists in league football as Norwich became a Yoyo club between the Championship and Premier League.

2017-18 turned out to be his Norwich finale and his final goal for the club came in his last-ever home appearance, scoring and assisting in a 2-1 win over Leeds United.

Wes Hoolahan's love for Norwich City

Whilst aged 35, he didn't have many years left in his career, his departure was ultimately a sad one. A player who had given his all for the badge and provided Canaries fans with some memorable moments, he was also upset to be leaving.

“I’ve thoroughly enjoyed myself at Norwich City. I just want to say to the fans thanks for the support, you’ve been amazing throughout my whole time here."

To put it lightly, he was a huge part of this football club for a decade and nobody but Norwich City's former Sporting Director could emphasise it better.

“He’s a player we should all celebrate. If you like football, then you like Wes Hoolahan.”