Forget Marcelino Nunez: “I always admired” Norwich City legend from an Ipswich Town point of view

During the summer transfer window, Ipswich Town made several new signings — but none sparked more debate than the arrival of Marcelino Núñez, who joined from their fierce rivals, Norwich City.

Following their relegation from the Premier League, the Tractor Boys have endured a mixed start to the new campaign.

However, the 25-year-old Chilean midfielder has already made headlines — both for his comments after the controversial move and for his passionate celebrations following Ipswich’s 3-1 victory over Norwich in the East Anglian Derby earlier this month.

Manager Kieran McKenna’s tactical setup, typically a 4-2-3-1 formation, places great importance on the number 10 role — a position demanding intelligence, vision, and creativity. For many Ipswich supporters, one player who would have been a dream addition in that role, despite his ties to Norwich, is former Canaries playmaker Wes Hoolahan.

Ipswich fans’ admiration for Wes Hoolahan

The rivalry between Norwich City and Ipswich Town is one of the fiercest in English football, making cross-border transfers like Núñez’s exceedingly rare. Players who make the switch are often met with skepticism, if not outright hostility.

However, Adam Wilkin, Ipswich Fan Pundit for Football League World, admitted that Hoolahan was one Norwich player he would have loved to see in a Town shirt:

“A Norwich player I wish could have played for Town? Honestly, there aren’t many. But if I had to pick one, it would be Wes Hoolahan.

“His control, vision, and creativity were outstanding — he could see passes that others couldn’t. He was the one player from that Norwich team I was genuinely envious of.

“His football brain and technical skill reminded me a bit of Jim Magilton, though Hoolahan played a little further forward.”

The brilliance of Wes Hoolahan

Dublin-born Hoolahan began his career with Shelbourne before moving to Livingston, then joining Blackpool on loan in 2006. He helped the Seasiders earn promotion to the Championship via the League One play-offs, earning a permanent move soon after.

In 2008, Hoolahan transferred to Norwich City, where he became a club legend. Over the course of more than 350 appearances, he played a pivotal role in helping the Canaries achieve promotion from both League One and the Championship, twice guiding them back to the Premier League.

After leaving Norwich, Hoolahan had short stints with West Bromwich Albion and Australia’s Newcastle Jets, before returning to England to make a remarkable late-career impact at Cambridge United, helping them win promotion from League Two in 2021 — at the age of 38.

Capped 43 times for the Republic of Ireland, Hoolahan’s crowning international moment came when he scored against Sweden at Euro 2016.

His elegance, creativity, and footballing intelligence made him one of the most admired midfielders of his era — even among Ipswich fans, who couldn’t help but appreciate his genius despite the colors he wore.