Analysis of Brad Hills' pre-season showings at Norwich City

After an impressive loan spell at Accrington Stanley last season, Hills was one of several players to return to Carrow Road this summer hoping to forge an opportunity in Johannes Hoff Thorup’s squad.

There was a question mark over whether the leap from League Two football to compete in a Championship squad was too great - in truth, it remains too early to definitively answer that question either way. 

But, with slates wiped clean and Thorup handing opportunities to young players regardless of what has been before, reputations or loan postings, Hills had to put his best foot forward. He has done that with real aplomb in the matches played to date.

Still only 20, Hills still has development to grow into, but his physical stature combined with his positional intelligence offers real encouragement for the future.

His League Two posting was a good grounding. Hills boasted an impressive aerial duel percentage and even captained Accrington on occasion. It may be too cliche to say Hills has returned 'a man', but he looks more self-assured in his capabilities.

Much has been written about Abu Kamara’s impressive loan at Portsmouth, but the defender performed just as consistently during his first step out of a sanitised academy setting.

Given that Hills spent last season in the fourth tier, his commanding and confident performance against League One Northampton, albeit not in a competitive fixture, offered proof of his improvement since last summer.

Those levels of performance were replicated in Belgium. Against highly-rated Club Brugge winger Antonio Nusa, who has been touted with big-money moves to the Premier League, Hills won all three duels against the Norwegian teenager.

Against Liege, he set the tempo in possession, progressed the ball well and stepped into midfield at the right moments combined with some fine defensive moments alongside the also impressive Jaden Warner.

This summer could still conclude with Hills getting a loan move elsewhere, but it feels likely that Thorup will want to include him in his trimmed-down squad at least to assess him further as pre-season enters its second half. 

Brad Hills has made a bright first impression during Norwich City's pre-season. (Image: Martyn Haworth/Focus Images Ltd)

Pre-season performances do have to be taken with a large portion of salt. Kellen Fisher stood out last summer, but couldn’t work his way ahead of Jack Stacey in the Championship campaign.

As impressive as Hills’ early showings have been, he still faces a tall, but not insurmountable, order to find himself in Thorup’s starting line-up for next month’s Championship opener at Oxford.

Hills has two experienced senior professionals fighting for a starting berth: Grant Hanley and Shane Duffy. Overcoming their reliability in Thorup’s mind won’t be straightforward, but the Dane has made little secret of his desire to trust youth.

Both of those experienced campaigners have plenty of miles on the clock and dressing room seniority in their favour. With Norwich shelling out £3million to sign Jose Cordoba as their left-sided option, it feels like three players competing for one starting slot at this juncture.

If Thorup and City want to create openings for young players, that will involve tough decisions and awkward conversations with more senior members, but that was a factor in why Ben Knapper brought City’s new boss to the club.

In Knapper's previous role at Arsenal, he crafted pathways for young talent. Hills is another with a bright future. 

Norwich currently have seven central defensive options on their books in Cordoba, Hanley, Duffy, Jonathan Tomkinson, Warner, Emmanuel Adegboyega and Hills. Of the young options, it currently feels like the Norfolk-born man is heading the queue as the nearest challenger.

Grant Hanley is among City's central defensive options. (Image: Adam Harvey/Newsquest)

In a more senior environment, coupled with three further games of data, Thorup will get a proper picture of whether the defender can be trusted in a Championship setting. If the answer is yes, then the Dane will have no qualms about slotting him into his backline. 

His youth will create inconsistency, and it won’t all be plain-sailing, but the boyhood Norwich fan has caught the eye with his performances to date.

In the outings so far, Norwich have looked a better side with Hills at the heart of their defence. He has been aggressive at the right points, bailed out his teammates, and even shown positive signs in his distribution – an area that many internally wanted to see improvement in.

These positive words need to be taken into context. There must be measure and realism filters applied to the debate, but Hills has given himself a chance with his performances.

After Northampton, Jack Stacey was similarly upbeat about Hills’ prospects. The first team have been impressed by his efforts – with the recognition that, with the exception of the first game, it has come in a younger Norwich side.

Hills has been a calm and composed presence for Norwich City so far. (Image: Adam Harvey/Newsquest)

Hills has real potential, and his performances have been really encouraging. But there are hurdles to overcome and challenges ahead before anyone can pencil him into the side to face Oxford United next month.

If he doesn’t make it this time around, Norwich will be able to get him a loan above League Two level. Plenty of third-tier clubs have already registered their interest should an opening appear later in the window.

But the fact so many supporters are discussing his name as a potential Championship argument encapsulates his impressive start to pre-season – but it is just a start.