Norwich City: Analysis of Sam McCallum's 2022-23 season

The former Coventry full-back has impressed Canaries fans with his dynamic and multi-faceted performances since returning from injury, his five consecutive starts testament to the consistency of those displays.

As solid a back-up as his 58 Championship appearances suggested McCallum would be, the idea that there would be a genuine contest between him and Dimitris Giannoulis for a starting place would have seemed ludicrous in the summer.

That's no slight on the Greek, whose showings have been sparse but almost as promising as ever. Instead, it's an indication of quite how high his understudy has raised his own bar.

Where concerns have centred around his defensive ability, McCallum has looked a far more reliable option than Giannoulis in that department. He did make an odd decision to jump in before Burnley's winning goal in October, it was his first game in months having trained only once.

Thereafter he showed his capability at both ends, making four clearances and winning eight defensive duels in the 3-1 win over Stoke while his driving runs forward were a key feature.

His 10 recoveries at Rotherham was a season high, and winning five of six aerial duels at the New York Stadium shows the mettle of any player.

Even during the 2-1 defeat to Middlesbrough, 74 minutes into which he was withdrawn for Giannoulis, he produced good numbers, being successful in 70pc of his actions and completing 86pc of his long passes.

McCallum has produced strong numbers in recent weeks. (Image: Paul Chesterton/Focus Images Ltd)

The frustration for McCallum will be that he wasn't able to do this over a prolonged period, with injury denying him what would have been a run of 12 games between August and October.

Giannoulis' ankle injury in the draw against Wigan should have been the opportunity for the former QPR loanee to stake his claim, but a less-than timely ankle issue of his own left him absent for a similar period of time.

While the five-game stint the 27-year-old's minor rib injury provided McCallum with was an opportunity, that extended spell could well have ascended him to long-term first choice status.

Brandon Williams' 26 Premier League appearances last term are evidence of Dean Smith's willingness to drop the number 30, with his meanders forward less favourable to the former Aston Villa boss than his predecessor Daniel Farke.

Unseating Giannoulis on a consistent basis will be McCallum's aim as the season unfolds, and those elements will make that feel like a more attainable goal.

That he's in the conversation will be a positive for the 22-year-old, who at one stage appeared to be fading into the background and away from a career at Carrow Road.

Stuart Webber's investment was being questioned after three consecutive loans away from Norfolk for his initial £1.5million signing, with the potential fee of £3.5million forefront in the minds of City fans assessing where money has been spent.

Fans had questioned McCallum's signing after three loan moves away from Carrow Road. (Image: Paul Chesterton/Focus Images Ltd)

That investment has matured well, with Webber and Smith now in possession of a young left-footed full-back with a good level of Championship experience.

After recent and consistent heartbreak for supporters, however, their focus has long since migrated away from spreadsheets and towards performances, which have been disappointing so far this term.

What McCallum has shown is that he can contribute to the improvement of this form, even faced with stiff competition from his team-mates. The World Cup break came at a frustrating time as he was building momentum, but the opportunity is clearly there for him to become a regular name on the team-sheet.

Months after facing questions over whether he was good enough to be Giannoulis' understudy, there will be vindication in that for McCallum. The chance to achieve promotion as first choice will be what he's striving for, however, as he continues to attempt to prove people wrong.