At 21 years-old, Dagenham & Redbridge forward Mason Bloomfield is still very young when it comes to experience in the game.
Bloomfield has only made 18 appearances this season for The Daggers, so to be snapped up by a stable Championship side in the form of Norwich City for an undisclosed fee is a testament to the talent that he holds.
A big step up
On the move from the East of London to East Anglia, which will be completed in the summer, Bloomfield stated: “It’s a big step up for me. I feel that with the training and being in and around the system with the boys, training at that level every day – it will take me a little bit of time to get used to it – but I’ll be there or there about’s.”
The Canaries have been known in recent years for developing young English talent with the likes of Nathen Redmond, twins Josh and Jacob Murphy (Jacob moving to Newcastle earlier this season), and most recently James Maddison.
Asked about whether the development of those types of players was key in Bloomfield’s decision to move to Norfolk he said: “Definitely, because young players get a chance if they work hard enough [there] and that’s definitely something I’m going to do. I’m going to go into pre-season and just try, start off strong.
“Basically the move was down to just speaking to a few people in the system that knew more about clubs, about bringing through youth players and giving young players a chance” he continued. “Over there [Norwich], they’ve given a lot of young players a chance – especially this season, so it was an easy choice.”
Daggers Development
The Westminster-born Bloomfield was quick to highlight his time away from and at The Daggers stating: “I always say in interviews that I’ve had, that non-league has helped me a lot. Getting released at 18, obviously at the time it felt like it was the world over, but overall non-league has definitely helped me develop my overall game.”
Bloomfield has been in and out of the team throughout this season, only recently has he been given the starting birth over fellow striker Michael Cheek. However he conceded that, despite playing 18 games, he was both pleased and disappointed with his game time under boss John Still: “Yes and no. I mean, obviously as a player you want to play more. It’s up to them [John and assistant Darren Currie] to decide when they think I am ready, I feel like I could’ve played more, but I am happy. I should (hopefully) be getting a good run of games towards the end of the season.”
Confidence is key
Despite his age, Bloomfield is a footballer who plays with so much confidence. This may have been helped after the departure of various high-profile players, however he reiterated that competition for a starting spot is still hotly contested: “It’s tough, because someone is always breathing down your neck. All it takes is an injury or a really bad game and he [John Still] will change it around, but I’m just trying to stay consistent, it’s a healthy competition for places.”
In the recent fundraising friendly against West Ham Bloomfield started and scored. When asked about testing his skills versus Premier League opposition, the striker said: “It was a very good experience. We had a feeling that they would field a strong squad, but it just shows you where I’m at [currently] – it was a good indicator for me.”
He followed up his performance against West Ham with an impressive 90 minutes at the weekend against AFC Fylde where he was once again on the scoresheet in a 2-0 victory at the Chigwell Construction Stadium.
If the talented Bloomfield was to continue his current form for Norwich City Under-23’s, there would be no surprise if he was quickly moved up into The Canaries first team, playing week-in-week-out in the Championship under Daniel Farke.