Norwich City sporting director Stuart Webber is convinced that club manager Daniel Farke is destined to manage a top European club in the future, though he hopes it is not anytime too soon.

In just his second season at the club, Farke has guided Norwich to the top of the Championship, five points clear of the play-offs with just eight games of the season remaining, which recently earned Farke and his backroom staff new contracts at Carrow Road until June 2022.

Speaking to Norwich City fansite The PinkUn about Farke's future at the club beyond that, Webber revealed: "I expect Daniel will leave Norwich at some point, because I rate him that highly, and he will manage a top European club one day.

"But we hope that is a long way in the future."

Webber went onto compare the situation to that of midfielder James Maddison, who left Carrow Road in the summer to join Leicester City, adding: "We said it about James Maddison last season. There would come a time when either the club outgrew him or the other way around.

"He was excellent for us and made the club a lot of money when he left and that was the best for both parties."

Despite Webber's big expectations for Farke in the future, he says he was never worried about loosing the German anytime soon, claiming: "There was never any concern for the simple reason that we both have a relationship built on honesty.

"If there was clubs who had come to him and were prepared to offer him jobs this summer I know he would have sat down and told me that was the case, if that was what he wanted to do in terms of seeing out his original contract.

"But that was never the case, which is why I was relaxed about the situation, while ensuring we spoke about the things we needed to get the matter resolved."

The verdict

There can be no doubting Daniel Farke's achievements in taking Norwich to the brink of a Premier League return, and in this day and age this one season alone can be enough to get the big clubs circling, so getting Farke tied down was a vital bit of business from Norwich.

If Farke does get Norwich and establishes them quickly in the top however, The Canaries may have an even tougher job on their hands to keep the German at Carrow Road.