Norwich City nailed £400k deal for 28-goal striker | OneFootball

Norwich City nailed a £400k deal for a prolific 28-goal striker back in 2009 who found it "ridiculous" not to play for England in a major tournament..

Norwich City entered the summer of 2009 desperately needing a reset, with the Canaries enduring one of the darkest campaigns in their modern history, suffering relegation from the Championship to League One for the first time in 49 years.

Confidence around Carrow Road was understandably low and supporters were frustrated. There were genuine concerns about how quickly the club could recover from such a damaging setback, with Norwich City regulars in the Premier League in parts of the 1990s and 2000s.

It was also a period of significant change. Bryan Gunn initially took charge following the relegation, but Norwich's disastrous start to the 2009/10 season resulted in his departure after just a handful of matches. Paul Lambert was appointed in August and immediately began reshaping the standards and expectations around the football club.

The mood changed remarkably quickly and the culture of the club had also shifted. Lambert built a side full of character, intensity, leadership, and belief. However, every successful team needs a reliable source of goals.

Norwich City striker Grant Holt was a bargain from Shrewsbury Town

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In the end, Norwich found exactly that in a striker who had just enjoyed a prolific season elsewhere in the EFL when Grant Holt arrived from Shrewsbury Town for a reported fee of around £400,000 (BBC Sport). After scoring 28 goals during the previous campaign with the Shrews, he was hot property.

That said, at the time, some may have questioned whether a player stepping up from League Two could make such a significant impact at a club under pressure to win promotion. In the end, those doubts did not last long.

Holt instantly became the focal point of Lambert's attack. He had an incredible blend of physicality, relentless work rate, intelligent movement, but also an eye for goal. The centre-forward proved to be far more than just a lower-league goalscorer. He embodied the spirit of Lambert's Norwich side and quickly established himself as a fan favourite.

His first season at Carrow Road could hardly have gone better. Holt scored 30 goals in all competitions as Norwich stormed to the League One title at the first attempt. The Canaries accumulated 95 points and restored optimism to a club that had looked directionless just months earlier.

Remarkably, the success did not stop there. Many expected Norwich to require a period of consolidation back in the Championship. Instead, Holt helped drive another promotion push. He scored 23 league goals during the 2010/11 campaign as Norwich secured a second successive promotion, finishing runners-up and earning a return to the Premier League.

Suddenly, a club that had been languishing in League One was back among England's elite. In the eyes of many fans, Holt, Lambert, and co. had returned them to where they belonged.

Grant Holt's England plea at Norwich City

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It's fair to say Holt's impact extended beyond goals alone. He became the symbol of Norwich's rise under Lambert. His leadership, personality, and determination helped create a winning culture where he was part of a strong dressing room that transformed the atmosphere around the club.

Players, supporters and staff all bought into the journey, and Holt was at the centre of it. There were plenty of memorable moments along the way. His goals against fierce rivals and match-winning contributions were vital, but his ability to rise to the occasion in big games ensured his place in Norwich folklore.

Perhaps most impressively, he continued scoring after reaching the Premier League, proving he was capable of performing at a level many believed was beyond him. He was even tipped for England by some fans and pundits alike, with Holt, back in 2012 via Sky Sports, claiming that it was "ridiculous" he had not been given a chance ahead of the Euros.

Irrespective of that, looking back, £400,000 from Shrewsbury represents one of the best investments Norwich have ever made. Holt arrived as a prolific lower-league striker but left as a club legend. More importantly, his signing helped spearhead one of the most remarkable rises in Norwich's history in the process.