Not even Johannes Hoff Thorup expected Norwich City new boy Emiliano Marcondes to become so crucial so quickly at Carrow Road.

The Canaries signed Marcondes as a free agent in October, hoping he'd provide cover in offensive positions as their injury crisis started to develop. But within eight weeks he's become an essential part of their starting line-up, claiming two assists and a goal in their last two games.

Thorup had worked with the 29-year-old previously at former club Nordsjaelland and came close to bringing him to Norfolk this summer, but the City head coach has still been shocked by how key his compatriot already is to his team.


"I didn't expect it," admitted the Dane. "But it goes for so many other players. Some of these guys have really pushed it to the limit, and maybe also a little bit more. Emiliano is one of them.

"Fortunately no injuries and that's good, because the experience that he has got now from playing a lot is useful. He brings that intensity in the game and that willingness to do whatever it takes to win.

"He's involved in a lot of situations in the game, he's sometimes a guy who's difficult for us coaches to make him take it easy once in a while in training!"

The former Brentford man has been deployed in an advanced midfield role in recent games, allowing him to interact with his more attacking team-mates while seeing plenty of the ball.

The relationship between him and top scorer Borja Sainz yielded results in Saturday's 2-2 draw with West Brom, and did so again as he set up the Spaniard in a 6-1 rout of Plymouth.

"I think what he's good at is actually reading the movements from the others on the pitch," said Thorup of Marcondes after that victory. "He sees what space will open up because of the movements that we do, he's a clever player.

"Then of course he has the individual skills also to be decisive and make assists and score goals. He's just an important player for us. I think he thrives in-between the lines and when he has a little bit of freedom to go in-behind or move a little and see where the space will open up.

"Then he has a good eye for his team-mates, and we can see that if we have him and Borja close to each other then something will happen."