Daniel Ayala was one of a number of signings made by Norwich City following their incredible Premier League promotion in 2011.
Paul Lambert led the Canaries to back-to-back promotions from League One to the top flight, ending a six year absence from the division.
The preparations for life back in the top tier led to the Norfolk outfit bringing in several new faces.
According to the BBC, Ayala arrived at Carrow Road in a deal worth £800,000 from Liverpool, where he had been since 2007.
The Red signed the centre-back to their academy from Sevilla, and he enjoyed Championship loan spells with Derby County and Hull City prior to the permanent switch to Norwich.
He also made five Premier League appearances for the Merseyside outfit, playing at the highest level at the age of just 18 (all stats from Fbref).
Daniel Ayala’s Norwich stint
There was some excitement around Ayala’s signing, especially as he had earned a reputation as a promising young talent coming through at Liverpool.
The defender had already earned a solid amount of senior experience and was now ready to take the step-up to the Premier League in a bid to help Norwich maintain their place in the division.
The Spaniard’s debut came in a 1-1 draw against Stoke City, coming off the bench for the final 25 minutes for Lambert’s side.
But his first league start didn’t come until December after a knee injury suffered in a League Cup game kept him out of action for a number of months.
However, a run of just six starts ended with him falling out of the team again after another fitness issue.
Ayala did not play for the club again, with a loan move being agreed with Nottingham Forest for that summer.
Another loan spell at Middlesbrough the following campaign culminated in a permanent move to the Riverside in 2014.
The Canaries survived their first two seasons back in the Premier League, but by 2014 they had returned to the Championship with a 19th place finish in the table.
| Daniel Ayala – Norwich City league appearances by season (per Fbref.com) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Appearances (Starts) | ||
| 2011-12 | 7 (6) | ||
Daniel Ayala’s Championship career
Ayala went on to become a mainstay of the Middlesbrough side in the Championship, even helping them gain promotion under Aitor Karanka in 2016.
The now 33-year-old made 35 appearances in the league as Karanka’s side came second in the table.
Although Ayala again struggled for consistent game time in the top flight, the defender proved a consistent presence during Boro’s time in the Championship.
He made 175 league appearances across six seasons at the Riverside, proving himself as a solid hand at this level.
Ayala continued to show his usefulness at this level with Blackburn Rovers, making another 56 appearances for the Lancashire outfit during three years at Ewood Park.
While the move to Carrow Road failed to live up to expectations, everything ultimately worked out for all parties.
Ayala enjoyed a career at a high level, while Norwich ultimately earned three years in the top flight, with their relegation to the Championship down to other factors than this particular signing not quite working out.
Given they only spent a six-figure fee, the failed move was hardly costly and some Canaries supporters may have forgotten the Spaniard played for them at all, which speaks volumes about the impact, or lack thereof, he had at Carrow Road
