Norwich City: Sinani is delighted with his return to the Canaries

Published:
7:05 am July 10, 2022

Norwich City midfielder Danel Sinani has expressed his delight at returning to Dean Smith’s first-team squad after spending the last two seasons on loan.

Sinani featured for the Canaries in their 2-2 pre-season draw with German second division side Jan Regensburg and was happy to be back in yellow and green.

“I’m very happy to see the boys again and to be on the pitch playing for Norwich City,” he said. “The feeling is great, and the match itself was quite contested.

“It was my first game with some of these guys and sometimes it can be hard to get to know each other. It might take a while, but I think we did pretty well today.

“I know some of the guys from the past so I think it was pretty easy for me to fit into the team. I am very pleased with the boys.

“We scored two goals and although I think we can do some things better, for my first game I’m happy with the performance again.”

The 47-time Luxembourg international spent last season at Championship rivals Huddersfield Town, where he scored 10 goals in 39 appearances. The Terriers narrowly missed out on promotion in the play-off final and Sinani told City’s official club channels what an impact it had.

“When you lose a playoff final like that, it’s mentally very tough,” he said, “but I still think it’s been a great season for me personally. I had many games after a long season, incl. with the international team of Luxembourg.

“It was really hard, but I think two weeks off helped me get better physically and mentally.”

With a number of City squad players competing to prove their worth, it’s no surprise that the 25-year-old is in regular dialogue with the man who decides his future.

He continued: “I’ve spoken to Dean (Smith) a lot – he said he watched my games last season and helped me improve on the pitch on my own and with the team. We had good conversations.”

Norwich are well-equipped in attacking areas, but Sinani’s versatility could help him find a place in Smith’s plans.

“I think my main position is number 10,” he revealed, “but today I played on the right and I can go inside so I’m very happy with that role.

“I want to get as many minutes as possible to help the team achieve great results. I am looking forward to the start of the season, especially as I have a lot of experience in the Championship.

“It’s a bit different because I know Norwich’s expectations and we also want to get promoted so it’s another challenge for us and for me.”