New Norwich City manager Dean Smith promises ‘new start’ for Billy Gilmour

Billy Gilmour’s move to Norwich City this summer seemed like a match made in Loan Army heaven. As it’s turned out thus far, it’s been more a purgatory.

The 20-year-old has played just six times all season, which could be worse, but he’s made zero appearances in the last two months, which could not. He has not seen competitive action since a 3-0 defeat to Liverpool in the League Cup third round in mid-September.

In the meantime, things haven’t gone much better for Norwich themselves either, as they find themselves rock bottom of the league with just one win from their first eleven games, and just five goals scored. It’s been bad enough that long-time boss Daniel Farke was given his marching orders. Frank Lampard was briefly in contention to replace him, and while that surely would’ve been a great boon for Gilmour, the actual new manager is promising a second chance as well.

Dean Smith is now in charge, after just the briefest of unemployment periods following his own sacking at Aston Villa, and he’s happy to give a clean slate to all the players in the squad, including Billy, as well as similarly overlooked Todd Cantwell.

“They have got a big role to play at this football club, along with the rest of the squad. It’s a new start for them with a new coaching team coming in.

“We’ll see them in training tomorrow and it’s down to them to impress us in our time here.”

-Dean Smith; source: BBC

Hopefully we’ll see those words put into action as well. Gilmour’s continued to play a starring role for the Scotland national football team all along, showing his quality in helping them qualify for the World Cup playoffs. But for his best progression — including a shot at the Chelsea first-team next season — he needs to be playing more regularly than that.