Glen Riddersholm reveals drive behind Norwich City mission

It is a CV that caught the eye of City fans when news of his arrival surfaced, and Riddersholm has shown throughout his career that he is a builder of football institutions. It is that passion that fuels his work. 

Already in the inner sanctum, Riddersholm is a liked and trusted voice. He has taken a role much closer to the playing squad, whilst Thorup takes on a more authoritative position from distance. 

When he arrived, the main questions on the lips of supporters were 'why Norwich?' and 'why as an assistant head coach rather than the number one?'. They are points Riddersholm answered in depth on an exclusive Pink Un podcast episode in Austria. 

"I totally understand [those] thinking and wondering about it. To understand it, you have to understand me," Riddersholm said. "For me, status is nothing. I am not driven about that. 

"I'm driven about meeting in a shared ambition with other people and being surrounded by good human beings that can be human beings together in a tough business. Then, when we go out of the door, we are very professional and ambitious. 

"To be honest, after the Norrköping time, I thought it was difficult to find that. I am not a believer in the things that you see in modern football today. A lot of clubs hire coaches, then sack them. All that money is wasted. We need to be more professional in football and better at finding a philosophy, a style of play that isn't dependant on who is the head coach or sporting director. 

"Then the money will stay, and it can be spent on the academy and stuff like that. I believe in that because I have come from that culture for 16 years. 

Glen Riddersholm has previously worked as head coach prior to joining Norwich City this summer. (Image: Alamy)

"After Midtjylland, I have only said yes to projects. I've only committed myself to projects. Not the big names or status. I want to be part of something here that wants to go [higher]. When you look in the landscape around professional football, everything is about money, winning and all that. 

"If you look at my resume, I want to win and develop top players. But in the six months I had between jobs, I had a lot of meetings with people who I know in the football business about whether these projects exist or am I naive? Because I still believe in them." 

That answer was provided when a phone call inviting talks over a position alongside Thorup at Norwich began. 

The move was constructed by Thorup's agency in partnership with Ben Knapper, who felt a more experienced hand would complement City's young boss and equip him with more knowledge ahead of stepping into the unforgiving nature of the Championship. 

Glen Riddersholm was a guest on the latest Pink Un podcast (Image: Adam Harvey/Newsquest)

But, after previous experiences, Riddersholm's answer was neither straightforward nor instant - but after time, it proved itself to be the opportunity the experienced Dane had been searching for. 

"It sounded almost too much to be true, so I was a little bit sceptical," Riddersholm told the Pink Un. "You need to be [sceptical] because in football, like my last job, everything can sound good and then it's not like you expected. 

"I met Johannes - we spoke a lot - I spoke to my agent and I had a good feeling but also a little bit of doubt. Not because of my job description, but because in football I've also been unlucky with ownership. This is also important. 

"Then I had a meeting with Ben [Knapper] and Neil [Adams], now I was almost convinced. Then, when we went at the end of May to Colney, when I stepped in, I got this really good feeling that I have been hunting almost since I left Midtjylland. It's a family environment but also very ambitious. 

"All my football life has been about something that is bigger than me and reaches out to a community where we can together share a dream and an ambition to promote. But not just to promote, also to really stay in the Premier League. 

"That's the culture, the daily work, my ambition and the driver that Johannes has, that I have and that we share with everyone else in Norwich. Now I've been there meeting some people, we are doing a great job. It will take time but we are committed."

Riddersholm is a lecturer in sport and leadership and understands the importance of a strong working culture to success in the game. 

His qualities in those areas were another attraction for City, who believe that skillset will help Thorup implement his desired vision both on the training pitch but also into the sporting side of the club more broadly. 

Riddersholm is passionate about building a culture at Norwich City. (Image: Focus Images)

That has to be wider than simply the first-team playing group, as they seek to achieve buy in from everybody connected and working at the club. 

"There is a lot of things that are very different from what we are used to," he said. "As an example, hierarchy - from where we come from, we are very honest people. We could say to the kit man 'hey, what are you saying? You don't know anything about that, just relax a little bit'. 

"But here it's about status. Of course, it is important. But Johannes and I will not a success if our cleaning lady, kitchen staff or groundskeeper don't have a working environment that is great. 

"We are in it together because we create it together," the 52-year-old said. "That is how it becomes sustainable. That's why I am here." 

- The full exclusive podcast with Norwich City's new assistant head coach Glen Riddersholm can be watched below or listened to here