Norwich City midfielder Danel Sinani has expressed his pleasure at returning to Dean Smith's first-team group, having spent the last two seasons out on loan.

Sinani featured for the Canaries in their 2-2 pre-season draw with German second-tier side Jahn Regensburg, and was delighted to be back in yellow and green.

"I'm very glad to see the boys again and to be on the pitch playing for Norwich City," he said. "It's a great feeling, and the game itself was quite competitive.

"It was my first game with some of these boys and it can sometimes be difficult to get to know each other. It can take a little bit of time, but I think we did pretty well today.

"I know some of the lads from the past, so I think it was quite easy for me to fit straight into the team. I'm very happy with the boys.

"We scored twice and although I think we can do some things better, for my first game back, I'm happy with the performance."

The 47-times-capped Luxembourg international spent last term with Championship rivals Huddersfield Town, where he made 10 goal contributions in 39 games. The Terriers narrowly missed out on promotion in the play-off final, and Sinani told official City club channels what impact that had.

"When you lose a play-off final in that way, it is mentally very tough," he said, "but I still think it was a great season for me personally. I got a lot of games in after a long season, including with the Luxembourg international team.

"It has been really tough, but I think two weeks off has helped me to get physically and mentally better."

With a number of City's squad players competing to prove their worth, it's no surprise the 25-year-old has been in regular dialogue with the man deciding his future.

He continued: "I’ve spoken with Dean (Smith) a lot - he said he watched my games from last season, and he’s helped me to improve on the pitch on my own and with the team. We’ve had some good conversations."

Norwich are well-stocked in attacking areas, but Sinani's versatility may help him establish a place in Smith's plans.

"I think that my main position is number 10," he revealed, "but I played on the right side today and I can come inside, so I'm very happy with this role.

"I want to get as many minutes as I can to try to help the team to get some great results. I'm looking forward to the start of the season, especially as I’ve had a lot of experience in the Championship.

"This is a bit different, because I know the expectation of Norwich and we also want to get promoted, so it's another challenge for us and for me."