Norwich City appoint Dean Smith as new manager

Stuart Hodge

• Updated: 15 Nov 2021 08:58 GMT
• 3 min read

Norwich City have announced Dean Smith as the club’s new manager following the sacking of Daniel Farke.

Smith has signed a two-and-a-half year deal at Carrow Road and will be joined in the dugout by his former Aston Villa assistant and ex-Leicester City boss Craig Shakespeare as they try to lift the Canaries out of relegation trouble.

The arrival of Smith comes after he was sacked by Villa just eight days ago – and one day after Farke left Norwich – and represents the shortest turnaround by the same manager between Premier League jobs in history.

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Norwich are bottom of the Premier League, five points from safety, and keeping the club in the division will be the main aim for Smith and Shakespeare.

Sporting director Stuart Webber, in a club statement, said: “We are delighted to have appointed Dean as our new head coach. I have admired his work for some time and he has been a long-term target in the event that we needed to appoint a new head coach.

“Dean has an outstanding track record and as soon as he made it clear that he was ready to go straight back into a managerial role we contacted him immediately.

“He shares the same values and vision as the club, has a proven track record of winning games in the Premier League as well as developing players and building a winning culture and mentality.

“In Craig Shakespeare we have secured an assistant head coach with an outstanding reputation and vast experience within the game. We are delighted that Craig has agreed to join our new team.

Dean Smith on what he can bring to the Norwich City job

Smith, who has also previously managed Brentford and Walsall, said: “It has been a whirlwind seven days, but I’m really pleased to be back and working for Norwich City in the Premier League.

“Clearly, there has been some wonderful work that has gone into this football club over the last four and a half years. It is now the job of myself and Craig to continue and improve on that work with the ultimate aim of surviving in the Premier League.

“I’ve always worked to improve and develop players – with that obviously comes improved performances. I was really impressed with the idea, structure and vision that is already in place at the club.

“I've also been really impressed with the work Stuart has done at both Huddersfield and Norwich and he is someone I’ve known of for a while. A lot of my background has been working with sporting directors at both Brentford and Aston Villa. It’s an important relationship and I’m sure we’ll work well together here.”