Korey Smith has promised to come back fighting next season and prove there is life after relegation at Carrow Road. The 18-year-old Academy product was handed his debut by manager Bryan Gunn yesterday, but it couldn't have ended on a worse note.

Korey Smith has promised to come back fighting next season and prove there is life after relegation at Carrow Road.

The 18-year-old Academy product was handed his debut by manager Bryan Gunn yesterday, but it couldn't have ended on a worse note. However, the teenager was one of the very few positives to come out of The Valley - useful considering that he could well be a regular fixture next season.

It's a challenge he's looking forward to.

"During the summer I will work really hard," he said. "I can't think I've made it after one start but next season I hope to push on even more. I believe in my ability and I just have to work hard and if I work hard I believe I can get there.

"We can get back. I'm sure we'll be up around the top of League One next year but we will have to see what players are around and hopefully we can get back in the Championship."

To rub salt in the wounds, Smith - an influential figure in the FA Youth Cup side, was on something of a pre-match high, with his youth team colleagues after a successful weekend for his younger team-mates.

"The FA Youth Cup was a really good experience and everyone was buzzing and on Saturday the youth team won 3-2 and clinched second place in the league, which is the highest the youth team has ever reached," he said. "To come from that and being really happy and a day later to come to this is hard, but I'm strong enough, I believe in myself and I'll be back next season. I think as long as you work hard your ability will shine through."

That's good news for a player of whom much is expected.

"It was quite a hard game to come into," he said. "The result was a downer on my debut. It's just really disappointing."