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

Aylsham, a market town 12 miles north of Norwich, is hardly a traditional launchpad for global football stardom, yet 16-year-old Ajay Tavares has turned that notion on its head by becoming the latest English prodigy to earn a place at FC Barcelona’s famed La Masia academy.

Tavares, a lightning-quick winger now playing for Barca’s Juvenil A under-19 side, is only the third English-born player in recent memory to tread the same corridors that once honed Lionel Messi, Andrés Iniesta and Xavi. Aston Villa forward Louie Barry spent six months living on site six years ago, while midfielder Marcus McGuane turned out for Barcelona B between 2018 and 2020. Beyond that, the roll call is virtually blank.

“When do you hear of a young boy from England going to the best academy in the world?” asks Vik Khanna, who coached Tavares from under-8s to under-12s at grassroots club Aylsham FC Jaguars. “I can’t think of a single player. Not from the England camp or certainly even a Norwich camp.”

Khanna’s disbelief is understandable. Tavares’ ascent has been startlingly rapid. Released after a trial at Norwich City aged nine for being “too shy to show his football”, he reapplied three years later and was accepted into the Canaries’ under-12 set-up. By 13, according to his father Helio, “the explosion came”. Last summer, still only 15, he appeared for Norwich’s first team in a pre-season friendly against Dutch Eredivisie side Volendam and was a regular with the club’s under-18 and under-21 squads.

Barcelona scouts took note. In February they formally signed the teenager, who qualifies for a Portuguese passport, circumventing the contract restrictions that bind 16-year-olds in the UK. Norwich sporting director Ben Knapper admits the club tried to persuade Tavares to stay, but Spanish regulations left them powerless. “We do not have any means to tie a player down at that age,” manager Philippe Clement explained. “On the other side, everybody needs to be really proud. Barcelona is not bringing in lots of players, so that means he has exceptional things.”

Those exceptional traits, Helio believes, are raw pace and speed, attributes perfectly suited to the wide areas La Masia coaches want him to refine. “They can develop him to become even better as a winger,” he says. “He loves the weather, the food, the people—but he knows there is work to be done.”

Team-mates back in Norfolk remember a player who always looked destined for something extraordinary. “His technical ability, his ability to see the whole pitch and his scanning was just better than anyone else’s,” recalls under-16 Aylsham midfielder Oliver Matthews. Fellow former Jaguar Kam Khanna adds: “He stood out for his ability on the ball. It’s crazy to think he could now be playing with the likes of Lamine Yamal.”

The emotional cost of Tavares’ journey has been considerable: years of 5 a.m. departures, late-night homework sessions and family finances stretched to cover petrol, hotels and tournament fees. Yet the investment has already reaped historic rewards. “You talk about Barcelona coming to Norwich to pick up a boy—it’s beyond unbelievable,” Helio says.

Norwich City, powerless to block the transfer, have chosen pride over frustration. “Ajay’s progress is a testament to the fantastic work of everyone connected with our academy,” Knapper insists. “We couldn’t be prouder to see him take this step to one of the most iconic football clubs and academies in world football.”

For Vik Khanna, the sentiment is personal. “He broke in early at Norwich, broke in early with England, and now at 16 he’s with Barca’s under-19s. It sums up that he’s well respected—and he’s going to be the one to watch.”

From the modest surrounds of Aylsham FC’s 40-team setup to the marble halls of La Masia, Ajay Tavares has already over-achieved. If those who know him best are correct, the story is only just beginning.