Brooke Norton-Cuffy: ‘Vieira was great as a player and he’s a great manager now’
Should there have been a key element to the togetherness among the England Under-21s players as they secured their European title this summer, the Genoa defender might have let it slip: a group game called Werewolf. Introduced to the national team environment during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, it pits a small informed group called the wolves against the unknowing villagers known as the villagers as they aim to outwit each other to win, in a setup resembling the popular TV show The Traitors.
“Every night we played,” says Norton-Cuffy. “It significantly strengthened our unity because you understand each other better. In modern times when mobile phones are everywhere, you come together, you share jokes, you share moments … the team was very united, all were united, and it showed during matches when we ended up going and winning it.”
Such is the situation for developing footballers that Lee Carsley’s squad had only limited time to celebrate their thrilling win over Germany before they went their separate ways. For Norton-Cuffy involved joining his Serie A club – his new side in August 2024 after a decade at Arsenal – before heading off on a well-deserved holiday.
“Everything happened very fast, so I think we probably didn’t get to enjoy it as much as we should have,” he says. “But I don’t feel like it was a shock for this group to emerge champions. Everyone believed: ‘We deserved to win, and success was inevitable,’ so when we did it, it was like: ‘Alright, we succeeded, we feel proud, break time, but now everyone’s got to go and rip up at their clubs.’”
Italian League Influence
The defender has definitely carried that form into the Italian league. Despite missing a considerable period of his first season owing to injuries, the London-born defender has established himself under the Arsenal legend Patrick Vieira and notes he’s often spotted around the Italian city.
They represent Italy’s oldest club, established by a group of English settlers in 1893, and the new away shirt that Norton-Cuffy helped to promote features the St George’s Cross in acknowledgment of their history.
“It seems a lot of Italians have identified with me in that way, due to my nationality, and because of how the club was founded,” he says. “It has surprisingly worked out well.”
Career Development
The defender is emulating the journey of a similar wing-back from the capital in Djed Spence, who spent four and a half months at Genoa on loan from Tottenham in 2024. The player chose to depart Arsenal after productive spells at Lincoln, Rotherham, Millwall and Coventry, declining opportunities from English top-flight clubs and German teams.
“My aim was to move, perform and discover a new style of football, learn about Italian culture and step out of what I’d say is my comfort zone, because remaining in England was an option. Yet I thought: ‘Let me try the challenge abroad. Let me learn a new culture. Serie A is famous for tactical discipline, structure, style of play. So I said: ‘Let me come and improve my defending capabilities, but also show what I can do in attack and bring my own style to Serie A.’”
Professional Routine
Norton-Cuffy is known for lung‑bursting runs down the right and puts his energy down to a carbohydrate-loading routine that begins 72 hours prior a match. Most of his nutrition are supplied by the club but he learned to cook at Arsenal – among the capabilities developing footballers receive at Arsenal’s youth system.
“They assisted my development into a man, with stuff on the pitch and in personal development,” says Norton-Cuffy. “In North London, youth develop and you’re learning to be better consistently. If you’re not learning about football, culinary skills are taught. It’s come in handy, 100%. They always made sure psychological development was addressed, similar aspects. In games, clearly, standards are high: the level, the standard is extremely high, so it definitely assisted my development significantly.”
Vieira’s Influence
Genoa have made a challenging opening, earning just two points in five matches but working with the legend remains an ideal situation for Norton-Cuffy. He praises the former France midfielder, who succeeded the previous manager last November, for improving his positional skills: “His playing career was exceptional, now he’s an excellent coach and he’s assisted my development since his arrival. Our goal is to achieve maximum success. Our priority is to reach safety, typically, make sure we’re safe, and then plan ahead, but I believe the squad can of performing well.”
National Team Goals
Within minutes of England’s summer triumph, the coach already aimed for a three-peat for England’s youth in 2027. Norton‑Cuffy, part of the under‑19s squad that claimed their championship in 2022, is likely to feature the under-21s’ qualifiers against Moldova and Andorra during the international break and notes the coach has also served as a significant factor in his development.
“During challenging periods last year, he found moments to contact me, tell me: ‘Keep going, you know your quality,’ give you a little pep talk. He’s consistently available. During youth international duty, they stress it in every single camp: the goal is not to be in the under-21s the target is the main squad. Therefore, it relies on what I do for the under-21s and my domestic performances. The responsibility is mine out there and that’s my responsibility.”