'Best season of my career': Key figure in Portsmouth title success makes League Two move
The former Burnley and Wolves man made 56 appearances for the Blues after joining in June 2023
A key figure in Pompey’s League One title triumph is on the move again.
And, reflecting on his Fratton Park success, Will Norris has hailed the 2023-24 accomplishment as the ‘best season of my career’.
It means that, having started as John Mousinho’s first-choice upon the Blues’ Championship return, almost two years later he will be playing League Two football.
Wycombe had moved to strengthen their goalkeeping ranks this summer, with the signings of Conor Hazard from Plymouth and former Pompey man Matt Macey, both on free transfers.
That suggested Norris’ time at Adams Park was up, despite having registered 14 clean sheets in 42 matches for the League One side last term.
League Two play-off final losers
Now the 32-year-old has been snapped up by Salford, who lost the League Two play-off final to Notts County in May and now have a new manager in Australian Peter Cklamovsk.
And Norris, who featured 56 times after joining Pompey on a free transfer from Burnley in June 2023, has a new promotion challenge.
‘The squad is in great shape to compete already, and whatever experience the new players can bring in and the new management, hopefully we can go one better this year.
‘That season at Portsmouth was brilliant. It is a club that I have fond memories of playing for, and a club that I really admired, even before I signed.
‘I played against them in League Two and saw the struggles that they had, getting out of the league and administration. To deliver a title-winning campaign was probably the best season of my career.
‘I think I can bring a wealth of experience to Salford. Having a good goalkeeper is important, just like having a good striker is important. In these key positions, you need players that can do it.
‘We want to go up as champions first and foremost, I think we cannot make any plans past that. The first job we need to do is to get out of League Two. I just cannot wait to get started.’
Ever-present in League One title triumph
Norris was an ever-present in the Pompey side which claimed the League One title under Mousinho in 2023-24.
Comfortable in possession and capable of building attacks from the back, the goalkeeper’s performances earned him the distinction of being named in both the PFA and EFL’s League One Team of the Year.
He subsequently started the opening eight Championship games of the 2024-25 season. However, Norris never played for the Blues again following the 6-1 hammering at Stoke in October 2024.
With summer signing Nicolas Schmid subsequently preferred in the side and Jordan Archer providing back-up from the bench, Norris disappeared from first-team view.
On transfer deadline day in February 2025, he departed Fratton Park by mutual consent with 18 months remaining on his contract.
Norris instead signed for Wycombe on a free transfer, where he made 59 appearances in 18 months, while lost in the May 2025 League One play-off semi-final to Charlton.
Now he’s joined Salford eyeing another promotion as they rebuild following last month’s Wembley play-off heartbreak.