Former Coventry City midfielder David Phillips has insisted that Sam McCallum is ready to make the transition into Norwich City's first-team this summer when he joins the club on a permanent basis.

Whilst the Canaries sealed a £3.5m deal for the defender during the January transfer window, they opted to allow him to stay with the Sky Blues for the remainder of the 2019/20 campaign.

Since joining Coventry in 2018, McCallum has made significant strides in terms of his development over the past two seasons.

Whilst he was limited to just seven appearances in League One during the previous campaign due to the presence of fellow defender Brandon Mason, the 19-year-old still managed to illustrate some real signs of promise in the third-tier.

After replacing Mason as the club's first-choice full-back earlier this season, McCallum's superb displays have helped Coventry climb up to the summit of the third-tier standings.

As well as illustrating that he is more than capable of reading the game in a defensive sense, the teenager has also offered a threat going forward which has resulted in him providing six direct goal contributions in 34 appearances.

Phillips, who won the FA Cup with Coventry in 1987, has suggested that McCallum possesses the qualities needed to play at a higher level for Norwich.

Speaking to the Eastern Daily Press about the defender, the 56-year-old said: "Norwich do things the right way and they are already investing in the future - they have got a really excellent player in Sam McCallum.

"That shows me that if someone like (Jamal) Lewis was to move on then Sam is instantly ready to come in and do a very good job for them.

"He is a very talented boy and the latest to come out of a system at Coventry that's produced players like (James) Maddison and Callum Wilson in recent years."

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The Verdict

When you consider just how impressive McCallum has been for Coventry in recent months, it is hard to disagree with Phillips' comments.

An exceptionally talented player, it would not be at all surprising if he goes on to feature on a regular basis for Norwich in the future.

With the Canaries  currently fighting to avoid relegation to the Championship, McCallum could potentially end up playing against the Sky Blues next season if Daniel Farke's side are unable to avoid the drop.

Providing that they maintain their consistency between now and the end of the campaign, Coventry could potentially go on to win the League One title later this year.