Former Norwich City striker Grant Holt lends support to non-league Dereham Town

Former Norwich City striker Grant Holt and Magpies manager Tom Parke looking to raise the bar at Dereham Town

Former Norwich City striker Grant Holt said he wanted to make sure Dereham Town were around "for a long time".

Holt, 42, is part of a consortium of local people which has formed a new strategic relationship with the club.

"We're doing it because this is a big part of the community. We want more kids through the door and set a longevity plan for them rather than a short-term goal," said Holt.

The club are hoping to use his knowledge and expertise to grow.

The Magpies are rebuilding after they were relegated to the ninth-tier of English football last season.

Holt has also registered as a player, making Dereham the 20th club in his career.

He made his debut in Tuesday's Norfolk Senior Cup defeat to Norwich City's under 21s side at Aldiss Park.

"I got approached by a few friends who know the club," said Holt.

Holt helped Norwich gain promotion to the Premier League in 2011

"There's a lot of work to do but the one thing I guarantee is we'll do it the right way.

"We need to make sure the youth academy is ready and we need to think about a women's team."

It is not Holt's first foray into the non-league scene in Norfolk after previous spells at King's Lynn Town and Wroxham.

A difficult 18 months for Dereham started in the summer of 2022 when they were moved into the Northern Premier League Midlands Division - that meant playing teams in Birmingham rather than fellow Norfolk sides Gorleston and Wroxham.

A mass exodus of players unwilling or unable to travel more than two hours for matches followed, eventually leading to relegation.

Manager Tom Parke was the man tasked with steering the club through this turbulent period and he turned to Holt for help.

"It's about bringing people in with expertise in their fields," said Parke.

"It's a no-brainer - if you want to be a millionaire, speak to a millionaire.

"We want to make Dereham a football hub and I think this can be a very special place with some assistance."

Parke can see a bright future at Dereham.

"There's a lot of big clubs that don't even own their land and have to train elsewhere," he said

"We're very lucky, we've got a lot of potential here but it's about getting our house in order first - I'm a great believer you get what you deserve and success comes from hard work.

"Being a Dereham fan, I cannot wait for the future".