Player Profile
Jason Shackell

Date of Birth:27/09/1983
Place of Birth:Stevenage, England
Position:Defender
Previous Club(s):None
Squad No(s):24 (2004/2005), 4 (2005/2006)
Signed:11/03/2003

A bout of mumps in the summer of 2005 set Jason back as he prepared for the start of last season and although he made some early appearances, this dominant central defender was clearly not at his best. Having been left out of the side he then sustained a nasty ankle ligament injury which kept him out of action for five months. On his return to the side he once again displayed all the attributes that have earmarked him as one of the best young central defenders in the country. He is very strong in the air and is brave in the challenge, being prepared to get hurt in attempts to block shots on goal. He plays on the left hand side of the central defensive pairing and has the ability to pick out his strikers with long diagonal passes. Jason signed a two-year contract extension in July committing himself to the Canaries until the summer of 2009.
Official 2006-07 Norwich City FC Handbook

Patience was certainly the key for Jason Shackell during 2004-05 as the young defender broke into the first team and produced a number of Man of the Match displays during the final weeks of the season.
A product of the Canaries' Youth Academy, Jason has always impressed at youth and reserve team level and now looks certain to make a place at the heart of the City defence his own for many years to come.
A powerful and extremely competitive defender, Jason is confident on the ball and his height can cause problems for opposing defences at set-pieces.
However, defending is very much Jason's art and his timing, whether in aerial challenges or on the deck, is excellent, often enabling him to win the ball cleanly and set the team off on an attack.
Jason is also able to operate at left-back but it is at centre-half where he is most comfortable, and it has been of little surprise to anyone at Carrow Road that he has taken his chance so positively.
After a series of impressive displays at the end of the 2004-05 season, a great deal is expected of Jason in the coming campaign.
Official 2005-06 Norwich City FC Handbook