Simeon Jackson takes Norwich City academy coaching role

Over a decade after departing the club as a player, the Canadian international has returned to help develop City's next generation of youngsters as the academy's coaching staff shake-up continues. 

Head of football development Dean Rastrick joined City in the summer, succeeding Steve Weaver after seven years leading the academy programme at Colney. 

The former Tottenham Hotspur chief has begun work shaping the academy by adding further support staff to the U21 and U18 age groups. 

Former Luton and Gillingham midfielder Olly Lee has recently joined the U21s coaching staff and will work alongside Alan Neilsen in heading up that age group. He joined Norwich from rivals Ipswich. 

Norwich have moved to add ex-Ipswich U18 coach Adem Atay to support Greg Crane in City's youth set-up, having progressed from a lower age group after joining City following his departure from Aston Villa.  

Atay, who worked at Portman Road for 14 years and a half years, joined City in the summer to head up the U15/16s age group within the academy, but has been awarded a swift promotion amid the coaching changes. 

That has paved the way for Jackson to return to City in a coaching capacity, taking Atay's former role as lead coach of City's U15/16s. The 37-year-old has now retired from football after spells in non-league with King's Lynn Town and, most recently, Chelmsford. 

Jackson played a key role in City's promotion to the Premier League under Paul Lambert as part of a double bounce from League One to the top tier in consecutive campaigns. 

Former Ipswich coach Adem Atay (right) has joined Norwich City's academy staff. (Image: Ross Halls/Newsquest) The striker netted nine goals in the final eight matches of the 2010/11 campaign to push the Canaries over the line. His memorable hat-trick against Derby is considered one of the decisive moments of that campaign. 

He also scored the promotion-clinching goal at Fratton Park against Portsmouth, heading in from David Fox's glorious cross from the right. Jackson joined City from Gillingham in 2010 and scored 21 times in 86 matches in yellow and green, including four times in the Premier League. 

“I just loved my time at Norwich. I’m still here now, which says a lot about how much I love the area, and I love and appreciate the club," Jackson told the Pink Un in 2023. 

“When I look back, I was still really young. I had a lot of learning to do, but I was just in a really good environment with good people, and I had a really good experience. I still keep in touch with those people now, which says a lot about it really.”