David Cuffley Rossi Jarvis reflected ruefully on his exit from Norwich City and insisted: “I don't think the new manager gave me a chance.”The versatile 20-year-old and his brother, Ryan, 21, were two of the victims of Glenn Roeder's end-of-season clear-out, among nine players not offered new contracts in a list released by the club on Tuesday.

David Cuffley

Rossi Jarvis reflected ruefully on his exit from Norwich City and insisted: “I don't think the new manager gave me a chance.”

The versatile 20-year-old and his brother, Ryan, 21, were two of the victims of Glenn Roeder's end-of-season clear-out, among nine players not offered new contracts in a list released by the club on Tuesday.

But Rossi, who did not even get a place on the first team bench after Roeder's arrival as boss at the end of October, said City's young players had been overlooked after the influx of teenage loan signings from Premier League clubs.

He said: “It's a massive disappointment, definitely. I've been at the club since I was eight years old and came through the ranks. I'd love to stay here and play football here.”

However, he admitted there was little prospect of that under Roeder.

“In some ways it's a relief because I am 20 years old and all I want to do is play football and I wasn't getting that chance here,” he said.

“I don't think I've had that chance since the new manager came in, to be honest. He has brought players in who are the same age as me or younger.

“I played for England Under-19s last year and he's brought in some of this year's England Under-19s who I don't think are any better than myself or the other young players here.

“It's not just myself and my brother. I think there are quite a few young players at the club I feel could have been given a chance.”

At one stage, City had five teenagers on loan from top-flight teams while the Jarvis brothers, Chris Martin and Michael Spillane were among the club's own Academy youngsters who slipped down the pecking order.

The season had started more promisingly for Rossi, from an individual point of view, when he played five senior games in a row in midfield under former boss Peter Grant, but it coincided with a poor run of results that heralded total change at the top.

“I played five or six games in a row and I think I played well,” he said. “I thought this was going to be the start of my career and I could kick on from there, but with the results going the way they did and the old manager leaving, the team changed with new people coming in - that's football, I suppose.

“But I don't feel like I had a fair crack of the whip under the new manager.”

The Jarvis brothers, from Fakenham, both England internationals at several age groups, were tipped for great things when they first forced their way into former boss Nigel Worthington's first team squad.

Forward Ryan became City's youngest ever senior player when he made his debut as a 16-year-old at Walsall in 2003 - a record since broken by Kris Renton - and Rossi was 17 when he appeared for the first time in a Carling Cup tie at Birmingham.

In September 2006, they became the first brothers since 1928 to appear for City in the same first team match, both playing in the 4-2 Carling Cup win at Rotherham.

In all, Ryan, who had not started two successive league games since April 2003, left the club after 38 appearances, scoring five goals, while Rossi played 11 times.

Ryan, who has had loans spells at Colchester, Leyton Orient and Kilmarnock, has been on loan at Notts County since January, helping steer the League Two club away from relegation, scoring twice in 17 appearances.

County manager Ian McParland has not ruled out trying to make the move permanent.

“It is early days but Ryan is in our thoughts,” said McParland.

Rossi, who has had loan spells at Torquay and Rotherham, said: “I speak to Ryan pretty much every day. He had a meeting with the manager and he's disappointed as well, because he's been here so many years, but he never really had a run in the first team.

“He has been enjoying his football at Notts County and he's in a similar situation to me.

“I'm talking to a few clubs at the moment so I don't know exactly where I will be next season.”