This year, Chelsea claimed the trophy for the fifth time in succession. Norwich City were the last team to disrupt the status quo in 2013. Ben Wyatt was the ever-present left-back in that team of likeable lads which captured the imagination of Canaries supporters, and his views on his boyhood club and the problems facing some young players make for interesting reading.
Five years on, the FA Youth Cup triumph is an achievement cherished by Coltishall-born Wyatt; someone whose formative footballing experiences include memories of watching Adam Drury and Darren Huckerby at Carrow Road. "I've had a season ticket since I was three. I used to fall asleep by half-time. My Dad would let me sleep through that, then wake me up and set me off for the second half." Wyatt was signed by the Norwich academy at the age of ten, and in the following seven years featured in teams which won the reputable under-15s Eendracht Aalst tournament in Belgium and the Premier League under-16s competition in Warwickshire. A call-up to an England under-16s training camp followed in the lead up to the Victory Shield. However, as a first year scholar Wyatt was focussed on pursuing a spot in the under-18s starting XI.
"Thankfully Harry Toffolo, who's naturally a left-back, moved to centre-half and it worked out for me. We got through that first game (against QPR) but it was very disjointed. It was almost a case of everyone for themselves. We were a young group of lads who wanted to go out at Carrow Road and impress. As the year went on everyone knew their role. You knew that if you gave it to Josh or Jacob (Murphy) they were going to run against the full-backs all day long. Carlton Morris would pin it up at the top and Cam McGeehan would be the leader in the middle. Everyone else found their role and we recognised we had a decent squad."
After narrow victories against QPR, Millwall, and Birmingham in the early rounds, the Yellows were drawn against Everton at Goodison Park in the quarter-finals. This would be the litmus test for a team growing in confidence.
"I don't think we ever let the occasion get to us and that's why it went well. 4-2 was a great result and after that game we had Forest in the next round. Being two games away from the final, we started to believe we could do something. Then Reece Hall-Johnson scored one with his arm at the City Ground (grins). I think he got a bit of abuse on Twitter as well from their fans. Performance-wise that game was my best. I remember coming off right at the end and getting that feeling. 'You've done well tonight'. "
"My dad was working away and staying in a hotel in Scotland. That night a big team were playing on TV but he made the hotel staff put our game on the big screen. People had come in to see Barcelona and ended up watching me playing for Norwich."
In a unique format, both the semi-finals and final of the FA Youth Cup are played over two legs. The opportunity to see Norwich win the competition for the first time since 1983 persuaded 9,690 to watch the return leg against Forest, and 21,595 to attend the Final first leg against Chelsea. According to Wyatt, such partisan support had a profound impact on the end result.
"Some of those Chelsea players were on big money but we had a certain togetherness. I think the idea of us being 'Little Norwich' was drilled in to give us an underdog mentality. They had a great team with some serious players, but playing in front of twenty thousand fans gave us that edge."
Cameron McGeehan's late penalty invoked wild celebrations and gave Norwich a 1-0 win in a tense game. The young Canaries then went one better and lifted the trophy after a stunning 3-2 win at Stamford Bridge. Josh and Jacob Murphy stole the show that night, and have since yielded approximately £22 million in transfer fees.
"The whole game is a blur. My enduring memory is after the game, being on the pitch and having four thousand Norwich fans singing 'Kick it off' , and they were singing that because we were playing for Norwich and winning something for Norwich. It may sound cringeworthy but for me it was very special."
In actual fact, Wyatt performed brilliantly throughout the cup run, exhibiting a poise and maturity which belied his tender age and slight frame. His modesty is a product of the turbulent times that followed. In 2014 he was released by his club of eight years and has worked tirelessly ever since in order to salvage his football career.
"Around November time everything was on track and I didn't really get an inkling that I wouldn't get offered a professional deal" Wyatt opines. "Even my Dad told me to enjoy the meetings because we thought it would be when I got offered a contract. It was the first time we ever let our guard down. I'd put in so much work. Emotionally it was hard to hold it all in."
It would be easy for Wyatt to project something of a bitter image, instead he is keen to appreciate those who helped him develop as a player and as a person. "Russell Martin was a great club captain. I remember going on holiday straight after the season. He called me up to say 'well done' and took on a bit of a mentor role. I still think Neil Adams is so thorough with what he does. His analysis gave us a head start on everyone else and every aspect was brilliant. He helped me a lot."
The days after Wyatt's release made up a whirlwind week in which head ruled heart, and he chased a move to Norwich's rivals Ipswich Town. "I was told about my release on the Wednesday. On the Thursday we were training and then played at Anfield in an under-23s game on the Friday. I was invited to a trial at Ipswich on Sunday and played for them in a friendly on the Monday. There wasn't a lot of time to process it all. Putting that shirt on felt so strange."
"I think I probably wasn't ready at 18, but there are players sitting in under-23s teams who should be getting game time. One of the problems is that clubs can be in mid-table at the end of the season with nothing to play for but there is still two million at stake if they finish one place higher up. I'm not sure how it can be approached. Perhaps having a B-league rather than a u-23s set up will make the games more competitive for young players."
After travelling to exit trials across the country Wyatt made the decision to move into the Bostik League with Maldon and Tiptree in summer 2015. He played fifty games and won three player of the season awards before using the club's close links to Colchester United to earn a one-year deal at the Weston Homes Community Stadium. Once more opportunities were limited and he opted to move out on loan to Concord Rangers in the National League South; saving his season and catching the attention of other managers.
Without a club in summer 2017 and facing a crossroads in his career, Wyatt persevered and joined Brad Quinton's Braintree Town. Meanwhile, the 22-year-old became a self-employed personal trainer. His forty appearances and three goals helped the Iron gain promotion as unlikely winners of the National League South play-offs.
"I could have found an office job but I wanted to do something that would benefit my fitness. Everything is still tailored around football. Last season was a hard slog. Living in Norwich, I was driving two hours there and two hours back on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays; then I was working at the gym afterwards. We won the play-offs on the Monday and I was cleaning a treadmill on Tuesday."
"Gaining promotion as a team of boys who had little prior experience of the division was fantastic. Winning the Youth Cup was unbelievable, but what made the play-off win more of a highlight for me was seeing my family run on the pitch. It was reward for all of that effort."
Ben Wyatt is one of so many young players who continue to make sacrifices in hope of one day realising their Football League ambitions. Hopefully a first promotion is a sign that his luck may have changed for the better. Wyatt's parting comment epitomises his appealing character and sense of self-belief: "I know the hard work will be worth it when I get back in the league."
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