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Were there a key element to the unity among the England Under-21s players as they defended their European title this summer, Brooke Norton-Cuffy might have disclosed it: a group game called Werewolf. Introduced to the national team environment during the Qatar World Cup in Qatar, it pits a small aware team called the wolves against the uninformed majority known as the villagers as they try to trick each other to win, in a structure like the well-known series The Traitors.

“We played each evening,” says Norton-Cuffy. “It truly brought us together because you understand each other better. Today when everyone can be on their phones, you gather, you share jokes, you share moments … the group was really, really tight, all were united, and it showed during matches when we succeeded in winning the tournament.”

Such is the life of a young player that Lee Carsley’s squad had only limited time to celebrate their thrilling win over Germany before they headed to their clubs. In Norton-Cuffy’s case involved joining his Serie A club – the team he signed for in August 2024 after his youth at Arsenal – before taking a much-needed break.

“Everything happened very fast, so I would say we perhaps missed fully celebrating it to the extent we deserved,” he says. “But I don’t feel like it was surprising for our team to claim victory. We all felt like: ‘We deserved to win, and we are going to win the tournament,’ so upon achieving it, it was like: ‘OK, we’ve done it, we’re proud of ourselves, let’s take our holidays, but now everyone’s got to go and rip up at their clubs.’”

Italian League Influence

Norton-Cuffy has certainly taken that momentum into the Serie A campaign. Despite missing a large portion of his initial year owing to injuries, the London-born defender has secured a starting spot under the Arsenal legend Patrick Vieira and says he is regularly recognised around Genoa.

Genoa are Italy’s most historic team, established by a group of British immigrants in 1893, and the latest alternate jersey that Norton-Cuffy helped to promote features the cross of St George in recognition of their origins.

“I believe a lot of Italians have identified with me in that way, as an English player, and considering the team’s foundation,” he says. “Unexpectedly, it fits perfectly.”

Professional Growth

Norton-Cuffy is following in the footsteps of another flying full-back from the capital in Djed Spence, who had a loan spell at Genoa from Spurs in 2024. He opted to exit Arsenal after valuable experiences at Lincoln, Rotherham, Millwall and Coventry, rejecting proposals from Premier League teams and clubs in Germany.

“My aim was to move, play and experience a new style of football, experience a new culture and step out of what I know as my safe space, because staying in England would have been simpler. However, I decided: ‘Time to test myself internationally. Let me learn a new culture. Serie A is renowned for defensive organization, tactics, playing approach. Therefore, I concluded: ‘Time to enhance my defensive skills, but also show what I can do in attack and add my unique flair to Serie A.’”

Professional Routine

Norton-Cuffy is known for energy-sapping sprints down the right flank and attributes his stamina to a carb‑loading regime that begins 72 hours prior a match. Most of his nutrition are arranged by the team but he developed culinary abilities at Arsenal – among the capabilities emerging talents learn at the Hale End academy.

“They helped me mature as a person, with stuff on the pitch and off the pitch,” notes the player. “At Arsenal, you’re going there and you’re learning to be better every day. Besides sports education, you’re learning about how to cook. This has proven useful, 100%. They always made sure mental preparation occurred, related areas. And then on the pitch, clearly, standards are high: quality demands are supreme, so it definitely assisted my development significantly.”

Vieira’s Influence

Genoa have made a challenging opening, earning just two points in five matches but working with the legend remains an ideal situation for Norton-Cuffy. He credits the legendary player, who took over from Gilardino last November, for enhancing his tactical awareness: “He was a great player, he’s a great manager now and he’s helped me a lot after joining. The objective is to achieve maximum success. First we need to secure our position, typically, guarantee our status, and then plan ahead, but I think this group is capable of doing some very good things.”

England Aspirations

Within minutes of England’s championship success, the manager discussed a three-peat for the young Lions in 2027. Having been in the under‑19s squad that won their European title in 2022, is likely to feature the under-21s’ qualifiers against Moldova and Andorra in October and says Carsley has also been a major influence on his career.

“During challenging periods last year, he made time to contact me, tell me: ‘Persevere, you know your quality,’ give you a little pep talk. He’s always there. During youth international duty, they stress it in every single camp: the goal is not to be in the under-21s the objective is senior national team. So it’s dependent on my contributions internationally and my club form. It’s for me to push myself ahead and that’s on me.”