Norwood has always been open in admitting that Huddersfield Town have made him feel welcome at the club from the moment he signed on the dotted line and when his boy hood club, Burnley, came to Town he knew for sure that The John Smiths Stadium was where his future lied in football;
"Burnley have always been the club I support. I had a season ticket when I was younger and I could see Turf Moor from my mum and dad's house when I was growing up. So, when I saw the fixtures and Burnley were our second home game then I felt really excited. I'd played against them last season for Coventry City when I was on loan, but it didn't mean as much as this year because I am a Huddersfield player now."
"I really wanted to win as I knew a load of my mates were going to be in the away end that afternoon. They gave me a bit of stick during the game. I can't repeat what it was but it wasn't nice. And these were my mates, don't forget. So, when we scored from a corner, I couldn't resist turning round and giving them a little wave. It was a bit of banter but I also think it showed me how much at home I already felt at Huddersfield. Leaving a club like United isn't an easy decision but I felt it had to be made. And, so far, it has been a dream move for me."
"Results have been good and the team has come together well, while the spirit in the camp is fantastic. Everyone is loving their football."
Norwood had a tough decision to make when he left behind 14 years of being a Manchester United player in the summer but with him failing to get just one first team appearance for the club he knew it was time to move on;
"You get to the point where you get fed up of not playing for the first team. I also saw how well all the lads did over at Hull. I grew up with lads like Corry Evans, James Chester and Joe Dudgeon, who will all tell you that the best thing they did in their careers was sign for Hull. I looked at them and thought, 'I fancy a bit of that'. Loans are okay but they can also be tough. I went to Scunthorpe at the start of the year. I was on my own in an apartment in Scunthorpe, which with no disrespect, is not the nicest place I know."
"I was stuck in there after training every day, spending 12, 13 or 14 hours on my own. It made things tough. I decided in the summer that I wasn't going to sign a contract. The big thing about United is they teach you that it is a big wide world out there; every man for himself. They teach you all those lessons, so when you do leave then you are equipped. We all know what to expect. Having said that, it was still a big decision to leave. I'd been there since I was seven so you get into the way of how things are done at United."
"It is every kid's dream to play for the club. They are the biggest one in the world and I have nothing but fantastic things to say about how I was brought up there. So to walk away was a tough decision but it had to be made for the good of my own career, and at the minute, it feels like a great decision as Huddersfield is turning out to be a great move. I did have other options as Barnsley were in for me. I spoke to Keith Hill and his assistant. They put across their plans for the club. But then I spoke to the manager and chairman here at Huddersfield and that made my mind up."
"I wanted to be at the top of the league and there was a real ambition here. Our league position shows that. I want to push on and play in the Premier League one day."
The terriers will go top with a win today against Watford at home and coming off two very impressive 3-1 away victories against Sheffield Wednesday & Blackpool means they will be favourites for todays clash at The John Smiths Stadium.
"We want to do something this season and I think we have shown already that we are able to compete with anyone. Monday was a massive result for us. I think it sent out a statement. I said before Sheffield Wednesday that we are not in the league to make the numbers up. Blackpool have been in the Premier League and they are up there in this league, year after year. They were unfortunate not to go up last year."
"But we went there with our game plan and got at them. We showed that we have some real quality here. What we must now do is do the same against Watford, as anything less and we will get beat."
Norwood is set to make yet another first team start for Huddersfield under manager Simon Grayson and the lad deserves all the credit he is currently receiving. Alongside both Southern & Clayton he has flourished in the middle of the park and has shown off his abilities from set pieces as well as having the eye to play a defence splitting pass. Oliver has a very bright future ahead of himself if he carries on the way he has been playing.
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