William James Norris (born 12 August 1993) is an English professional

footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby lea ...

who plays as a

goalkeeper In many team sports that involve scoring goal (sport), goals, the goalkeeper (sometimes termed goaltender, netminder, GK, goalie, or keeper) is a designated player charged with directly preventing the opposing team from scoring by blocking or i ...

for club

Wycombe Wanderers Wycombe Wanderers Football Club () is a professional association football club based in the town of High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, England. The team competes in League One, the third level of the English football league system. Founded in 188 ...

Club career

Royston Town

Without a club at the start of the 2011–12 season, Norris made an approach to join Hertfordshire side Royston Town who in the previous season had narrowly missed out on promotion after finishing 3rd in the Spartan South Midlands League Premier Division. He played a number of games for the reserve team where his performances caught the attention of then first team manager, Paul Attfield, who pulled him into the first team. On 20 September 2011, he made his debut for Royston in a 4–1 home win against Haringey Borough in the Spartan South Midlands League Premier Division Cup. Norris went on to make 41 appearances in all competitions in 2011–12 helping the club to secure the Spartan South Midlands Premier Division title and a cup double which included the Spartan South Midlands League Premier Division Cup and the South Midlands Floodlit Cup. In the quarter-final of the

Cambridgeshire Invitation Cup The Cambridgeshire Invitation Cup is the senior county cup competition of the Cambridgeshire County Football Association. Established in 1950,Blakeman, M (2010) ''The Official History of the Eastern Counties Football League 1935–2010, Volume I ...

against Cambridge City on 25 January 2012, the game was decided by a

penalty shoot-out The penalty shootout is a method of determining a winner in sports matches that would have otherwise been drawn or tied. The rules for penalty shootouts vary between sports and even different competitions; however, the usual form is similar to pe ...

in which Norris pulled off a number of saves in

sudden death Sudden Death or Sudden death may refer to: Medical * Cardiac arrest, also known as sudden cardiac death, natural death from cardiac causes * Sudden cardiac death of athletes * Sudden infant death syndrome * Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy *Su ...

before scoring the winning penalty to send Royston into the semi-final.

Cambridge United

On 16 July 2012, Norris signed for Cambridge United on a two-year deal and was loaned back to Royston Town for the duration of the 2012–13 season, helping the club to a 7th-place finish in the Southern Football League Division One Central. Norris spent the first half of the season 2013–14 with Cambridge as second choice to Chris Maxwell, before re-joining Royston in December 2013 on a short-term loan spell. He was recalled to make his first team debut for Cambridge in a 1–0 away win at Tamworth in the

Conference Premier The National League, officially known as Vanarama National League for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in England. The National League is the first division of the National Leagues and step 1 of the National Le ...

on 21 January 2014. On 30 January 2014, he signed a new contract with the club which extended his previous deal by two and a half years to 2016. He went on to make a total of 15 league appearances helping Cambridge make a return to

The Football League The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, it is the oldest football league in the world, and was the top-level football league in England from ...

, after a nine-year absence, via the Conference play-offs. Norris kept a clean sheet in Cambridge's 4–0 victory over Gosport Borough in the 2014 FA Trophy final. Norris made his

Football League The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional association football, football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, it is the oldest football league in Association football around the world, the w ...

debut for Cambridge in a 2–2 draw at home to

Accrington Stanley Accrington Stanley Football Club is a professional association football club based in Accrington, Lancashire, England, that compete in the , the fourth level of the English football league system. They have spent their entire history playing a ...

on 11 April 2015. He went on to make a total of 3 appearances in the league in 2014–15 as Cambridge finished 19th in their first season back in the Football League. At the end of the season his contract was extended to 2018, and was loaned to

Braintree Town Braintree Town Football Club is a professional football club based in Braintree, Essex, England. They are currently members of and play at Cressing Road. History The club was formed on 24 September 1898 as Manor Works, the works team of the ...

for the beginning of 2015–16. On 8 August 2015, he made his debut for Braintree in a 1–0 away defeat to Chester City in the

National League National League often refers to: *National League (baseball), one of the two baseball leagues constituting Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada *National League (division), the fifth division of the English football (soccer) system ...

. After a run of impressive performances, keeping four clean sheets in six games, he was named the National League's Player of the Month for October. At the time of collecting the award Norris had amassed 9 clean sheets in the league; the most of any goalkeeper in the top 5 English divisions. On 9 January 2016, Norris was recalled from his loan with Braintree. He went on to make a total of 21 league appearances for Cambridge, keeping 9 clean sheets, as the club finished 9th in League Two. His contract was extended by a further year, to 2019. In the 2016–17 season Norris saved a club record of five penalties in one season, including two in second half stoppage time against

. The gloves he used in the double penalty save against Accrington raised £1,000 at a

charity auction Charity auctions are a way of fundraising, raising funds for charitable organization, charities. These events are typically hosted in hotels or ballrooms, and dinner or cocktails may be served to guests. Charity auctions aimed at business leaders ...

, with the proceeds being donated to injured footballers Shaun Whiter and Joey Abbs, who were victims of a hit-and-run incident.

Wolverhampton Wanderers

On 11 July 2017, Norris signed a three-year deal for

Wolverhampton Wanderers Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club ( ), commonly referred to as Wolves, is a professional association football, football club based in Wolverhampton, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league s ...

for an undisclosed fee, a day after the then

Championship In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion. Championship systems Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship. Title match system In this sys ...

club had signed a fellow former Cambridge goalkeeper,

John Ruddy John Thomas Gordon Ruddy (born 24 October 1986) is an English professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper. He is currently a free agent. Ruddy began his career at Cambridge United, before signing for Everton as a 19-year-old. He spent f ...

. He made his debut for the club on 8 August 2017 in a 1–0 win against

Yeovil Town Yeovil Town may refer to: * Yeovil, a town in Somerset, England, with a council named Yeovil Town * Yeovil Town F.C., an English football team based in Yeovil, Somerset * Yeovil Town W.F.C., an English women's football team affiliated with Yeovil T ...

in the second round of the

EFL Cup The English Football League Cup, often referred to as the League Cup and currently known as the Carabao Cup for sponsorship reasons, is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout competition in men's domestic football in England. Orga ...

. Norris made his league debut for Wolves on 6 May 2018 against

Sunderland Sunderland () is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. It is a port at the mouth of the River Wear on the North Sea, approximately south-east of Newcastle upon Tyne. It is the most p ...

. Wolves were promoted to the

Premier League The Premier League is a professional association football league in England and the highest level of the English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Football Lea ...

as Champions at the end of the 2017–18 season. Norris made his Premier League debut for Wolves as a second-half injury time substitute in the 1–0 home win against

Fulham Fulham () is an area of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in West London, England, southwest of Charing Cross. It lies in a loop on the north bank of the River Thames, bordering Hammersmith, Kensington and Chelsea, London, Chelsea ...

on 4 May 2019.

Ipswich Town (loan)

On 30 July 2019, Norris joined

Ipswich Town Ipswich Town Football Club is a professional football club based in Ipswich, Suffolk, England. The club currently competes in the EFL Championship, the second tier of English football. Ipswich Town were founded in 1878 but did not turn ...

on loan for the 2019–20 season. He made his debut for the club in a 3–1 loss to

Luton Town Luton Town Football Club is a professional association football, football club from Luton, Bedfordshire, England. The club currently competes in EFL League One, the third level of the English football league system. Nicknamed "The Hatters", L ...

in the

, on 13 August 2019. On 9 November, Norris saved a penalty during a 1–1 draw with Lincoln City in an

FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout association football, football competition in domestic Football in England, English football. First played during ...

first-round tie at

Portman Road Portman Road is a association football, football stadium in Ipswich, Suffolk, England, which has been the home ground of Ipswich Town F.C., Ipswich Town since 1884. The stadium has also hosted many England youth international matches, and one E ...

. Norris made a total of 20 appearances for the club during his loan spell prior to the League One season being ended early.

Burnley

On 14 August 2020, Norris signed a three-year deal for

Burnley Burnley () is a town and the administrative centre of the wider Borough of Burnley in Lancashire, England, with a 2021 population of 78,266. It is north of Manchester and east of Preston, at the confluence of the River Calder and River B ...

for an undisclosed fee. He made his debut for the club in a 4–3 penalty shootout win against

MK Dons Milton Keynes Dons Football Club, usually abbreviated to MK Dons, is a professional association football club based in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, England. The team competes in EFL League Two, the fourth level of the English football leag ...

in the

on 9 January 2021, saving two penalties in the shootout. On 19 May 2021, Norris made his league debut for Burnley in a 0–3 home defeat to

Liverpool Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...

Peterborough United (loan)

On 6 January 2023, Norris joined League One club

Peterborough United Peterborough United Football Club is a professional association football club based in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, England. The team compete in League One, the third level of the English football league system. Peterborough United formed in ...

on loan until the end of the 2022–23 season. On 16 January 2023, Norris made his league debut for Peterborough in a 2–0 away win against

Port Vale Port Vale Football Club are a professional football club based in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, England, which compete in , the third tier of the English football league system. Vale are named after the valley of ports on the Trent and Mersey Canal ...

. Norris kept 11 clean sheets in his 24 appearances for Peterborough.

Portsmouth

On 14 June 2023, Norris agreed to sign for League One club

Portsmouth Portsmouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. Most of Portsmouth is located on Portsea Island, off the south coast of England in the Solent, making Portsmouth the only city in En ...

on a three-year deal. On 5 August 2023, Norris made his league debut for Portsmouth in a 1-1 home draw against

Bristol Rovers Bristol Rovers FC is a men's professional football club in Bristol. The team competes in , the fourth tier of the English football league system. The club is affiliated to Bristol Rovers W.F.C., whose team play in the FA Women's National Leag ...

. Norris was named in the League One Team of the Season at the

EFL Awards The EFL Awards is an annual awards ceremony commemorating association football players, clubs and associated individuals involved in the three divisions of the English Football League (EFL). The event was established in 2006 and is usually hel ...

along with teammates

Marlon Pack Marlon Pack (born 25 March 1991) is an English professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for club Portsmouth. He formerly played for Bristol City, Cardiff City and Cheltenham Town. Career Portsmouth Born in Portsmouth, Hampshire, P ...

and Conor Shaughnessy. Norris was an ever-present as Portsmouth were promoted to the Championship as league winners, having spent the previous six seasons in League One. He captained the side on the final day of the season in a 2-0 away win against Lincoln City in which he saved a second half penalty from Daniel Mândroiu. Norris kept 19 clean sheets in the league in 2023–24. Norris made 8 league appearances for Portsmouth in 2024–25 in their return to the Championship. Norris kept 2 clean sheets and was named man of the match in both games. Norris left the club on 3 February 2025, by mutual agreement, to join

Wycombe Wanderers

On 3 February 2025, Norris signed for League One club

. Norris kept 8 clean sheets in 17 league appearances, helping Wycombe to a 5th place finish in 2024–25.

Career statistics

Honours

Royston Town *

Spartan South Midlands Football League The Spartan South Midlands Football League is an English football league covering Hertfordshire, northwest Greater London, central Buckinghamshire and southern Bedfordshire. It is a feeder to the Southern Football League or the Isthmian League, ...

Premier Division: 2011–12 *Spartan South Midlands Football League Premier Division Cup: 2011–12 *South Midlands Floodlit Cup: 2011–12 *Hinchingbrooke Cup: 2012–13 Cambridge United *

play-offs:

2014 The year 2014 was marked by the surge of the Western African Ebola epidemic, West African Ebola epidemic, which began in 2013, becoming the List of Ebola outbreaks, most widespread outbreak of the Ebola, Ebola virus in human history, resul ...

FA Trophy The Football Association Challenge Trophy, also known as the Isuzu FA Trophy for sponsorship reasons, is a men's football knockout cup competition run by and named after The Football Association (the FA) and competed by mainly National League ...

: 2013–14 Wolverhampton Wanderers *

EFL Championship The English Football League Championship, known simply as the Championship and for sponsorship purposes as Sky Bet Championship, is a professional association football league in England and Wales. Contested by 24 clubs, it is the highest divi ...

: 2017–18 Portsmouth *

EFL League One The English Football League One, known as Sky Bet League One for sponsorship reasons, or simply League One, is a professional association football league in England. EFL League One is the second-highest division of the English Football League an ...

: 2023–24 Individual *

Player of the Month: October 2015 * EFL League One Team of the Season: 2023–24 *

PFA Team of the Year The Professional Footballers' Association Team of the Year (often called the PFA Team of the Year, or simply the Team of the Year) is an annual award given to a set of 55 footballers across the top four tiers of men's Football in England, En ...

: 2023–24 League One

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Norris, Will Living people 1993 births Footballers from Watford English men's footballers Men's association football goalkeepers Hatfield Town F.C. players Royston Town F.C. players Cambridge United F.C. players Braintree Town F.C. players Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. players Ipswich Town F.C. players Burnley F.C. players Peterborough United F.C. players Portsmouth F.C. players National League (English football) players English Football League players Southern Football League players Premier League players 21st-century English sportsmen