Harry Toffolo has hailed Norwich City chief Neil Adams for the role he played in his development during his time in the academy.

The left-back, now on the books of Huddersfield Town, has credited Adams with a pivotal role in his progression as a young player, starting as a 13-year-old all the way to managing his loans away from the club.

Toffolo has climbed back up the football ladder after departing City for Millwall on a short-term deal back in 2018. It was with Lincoln where the 26-year-old really impressed, with Danny Cowley guiding the club to League One.

Cowley decided to bring Toffolo from Sincil Bank to Huddersfield when he became manager of the Terriers in 2020 and the Canaries academy graduate has flourished in Yorkshire.

An FA Youth Cup winner with City in 2013, Toffolo joined the Canaries through their school of excellence before moving through the ranks, eventually playing two games for the first team in the League Cup.

Adams was manager of the FA Youth Cup winners and also coached Toffolo at U14 level. After he resigned as first-team manager in 2015, the now assistant sporting director oversaw four of the five loans the left-back had during his time at Carrow Road.

His influence has left a lasting impact on Toffolo, who has praised him for the role he has had on his career.

"I have got fond memories of Norwich City," Toffolo said.

"I was at the school of excellence down in Stevenage where my hometown is and I moved to Norwich when I was 12 years old. Before that my parents were driving up and down the A14 three times a week which I am in a lot of debt to them for and I am very grateful.

"It was great to be part of an academy at a reasonable age where I would go on to learn the different ways the football club wants to play and how competitive it is in professional football.

"You get a taste for it when you do join the academy as to how competitive it can be. I was quite lucky really in the fact that my under 14's coach Neil Adams ended up being my youth cup winning coach.

"He also became my loans manager whilst I was going out on loan at several different clubs when I was on the books at Norwich," the left-back told the Secret Footballer.

"To be able to have that person there who guided me throughout the different steps in my career from a 13-year-old boy all the way to being 19-years-old and playing in a League One play-off final… Neil Adams played a massive part in that.’'

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