Norris Backs Sturrock

Plymouth Argyle midfielder David Norris has given his backing to former Argyle manager Paul Sturrock who was sacked by Sheffield Wednesday last week.

The live-wire 25-year old is grateful to Sturrock for rescuing his career and also for putting Plymouth back on the map. Norris, speaking to The League Paper, says without the help of Sturrock he could have been working on a council-recycling tip!

Norris said: ‘Plymouth are handily placed in the Championship. But many people down here remember the hard work Paul put in during his time as manager.
‘He`d pulled us up a division before I joined the club – and he left us for Southampton with us virtually promoted to the Championship.
‘Sturrock constructed a solid core of players at Home Park and help set us up. Many of us lads are the foundation from which Ian Holloway is trying to take things on.’

Sturrock signed Norris from Bolton Wanderers in 2002 for £25,000 after an initial loan spell but before signing for Bolton, Norris was playing part-time for Boston in the Conference league but had other jobs outside of football to supplement his salary. Norris continues:’Before I went to the Reebok Stadium I was playing part-time soccer for Boston. To make ends meet I worked as a steward at Wembley and in a council horticultural recycling plant. It was filthy, unpleasant work – but that’s where I might have ended up again if Paul hadn’t stepped in.
‘I’d taken a year out after Boston. I studied hard and managed to get 11 GCSEs and 2 A levels in business and sports studies.
‘But Paul knew how much I wanted to succeed and I wasn’t going to let him or Plymouth down once my big break arrived.’

Norris is having another great season in the Argyle midfield with the team currently sitting in 7th position in the Championship but Norris his keeping his feet firmly on the ground and is thankful to Plymouth for the chance to play professional football, he says: ‘A lot of players don’t know what hits them if football turns sour. I feel my grounding will leave me in good shape, whatever life throws up.’

Some of the so-called Premiership Prima-Donna’s would do well to listen to the advice given by the level-headed Norris.