From Norfolk to La Masia – Tavares is ‘England’s one to watch’

“When do you hear of a young boy from England going to the best academy in the world?”

Ajay Tavares’ former youth coach Vik Khanna asks an interesting question. The answer is… almost never.

Tavares is a unique talent in more ways than one. The 16-year-old prodigy has already achieved something truly rare.

Only a select handful of English players have been signed by FC Barcelona’s famous La Masia academy before.

And only one English player – Aston Villa’s Louie Barry currently on-loan at Stockport – has lived at the complex famous for producing Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta and Xavi, to name just a few.

Until now.

Even those closest to Tavares describe his rapid rise through the ranks from grassroots football in a small Norfolk market town to the prestige of Barcelona via Norwich City as “beyond unbelievable”.

“When he got into Norwich, there was no surprise, he was that good,” Khanna tells BBC Look East.

Khanna – who coached Tavares from under-8s through to under-12s at Aylsham FC Jaguars – tried to think of when a move like this has happened before for a young English prospect.

“I can’t think of a single player,” he said. “Not from the England camp or certainly even a Norwich camp.”

Tavares is most definitely in exclusive company after signing for Barcelona in February.

Aside from Barry, who spent six months at La Masia before signing for Aston Villa six years ago, only Marcus McGuane has played at the academy for Barcelona B between 2018 and 2020.

Oliver Matthews still plays for the under-16s at Aylsham, a club around 12 miles from Norwich with 40 teams and more than 600 players, and he recalls Tavares “taking on opponents with ease” even at a very young age.

“I remember his technical ability, his ability to see the whole pitch and his scanning was just better than anyone else’s,” Matthews said.

“You could tell from when he was young that he was going to make it high up in football.”

Fellow former team-mate Kam Khanna echoed the sentiments that Tavares “stood out for his ability on the ball”.

Despite his natural talent, the route to the Catalonian giants has not been straightforward for Tavares, according to his father Helio, with years of dedication to “training, late nights, early mornings and the family spending money”.

“At the age of nine he came for a trial at Norwich, he was so shy, he didn’t show his football,” he said.

Tavares failed to break into the Canaries academy on that occasion but would try again three years later and successfully made it into Norwich’s under-12s in 2022.

“I think that was the point where he started flying,” said Helio. “At 13, this is when I would say the explosion came.”

After progressing to the Norwich under-18 and under-21 sides, as well as the England youth teams, Tavares also made a first team appearance for the Canaries in a pre-season friendly against Dutch Eridivisie outfit Volendam last summer.

He is now part of the Barca Juvenil A under-19 squad, primarily playing as a winger.

Norwich City manager Philippe Clement agrees, even if the club were understandably keen to keep hold of one of their prized young assets.

“There are a few things that are maybe disappointing but overall one of the local Norwich guys can go to La Masia and show his talent there and I think it’s a point you need to be proud of as a club,” Clement told BBC Radio Norfolk.

Clement said the club tried to persuade Tavares to stay at Carrow Road but because of different contract rules in Spain compared to the UK, they “do not have any means to tie a player down at that age”.

“Then the second part of the story is also that he not only has his UK passport but a Portuguese passport, so that makes it much easier for foreign teams to bring him in,” he added.

“On the other side, I think everybody needs to be also really proud. Everybody in the academy, Ajay himself, his family, to have a chance to work in Barcelona is also a really big opportunity.

Khanna said you could “tell by his work rate” that Tavares was determined to play football at “the best level he could”.

“He broke in early in the Norwich team, he broke in early in the England team and to be playing at under-19s level at Barcelona at the tender age of 16, it sums up that he’s well respected,” Khanna said.

Helio believes his son’s raw attributes of “pace and speed” are what attracted Barcelona to make their move.

“I believe this one [La Masia] can see their soul,” he said. “They can develop him to become even better as a winger.

Norwich’s sporting director Ben Knapper said he was sad to see such a talented player leave but that the club’s overriding sense is one of “immense pride”.

“Ajay’s progress has been a testament to the fantastic work of everyone connected with our academy,” he said.

“We couldn’t be prouder to see him take this step to one of the most iconic football clubs and academies in world football.”

Vik Khanna is still pinching himself.

“You hear the stories, don’t you, that young kids go through and make it up to Premier League level,” he added.

“You never think that it’ll be the kids that you get involved in that you see here at Aylsham.