Dean Smith was only sacked as Aston Villa boss on Sunday afternoon, but he is already wanted for talks at Norwich City.
That’s according to The Telegraph, who claim that Norwich want to interview Smith with a view to replacing Daniel Farke.
Farke was sacked on Saturday night despite a 2-1 win away at Brentford.
Norwich want to land a swift appointment, and Smith now now land an almost instant return to Premier League management.
The same report claims that Frank Lampard is also a target for the Canaries as they seemingly look for a British manager.
The Athletic claimed earlier today that Norwich’s managerial search is down to two candidates.
Those two candidates could now be Lampard and Smith, with talks imminent.
Smith’s fine work at Villa shouldn’t be forgotten
Smith lost his final five league games at Villa, and couple that with seven defeats in the final 17 games of last season and this exit has been coming.
That doesn’t mean his exploits at Villa Park should be forgotten.
Smith lived the dream, managing his boyhood club. After leaving Brentford in 2018, Smith took on a Villa side in turmoil after the Steve Bruce era.
By the end of the season, Smith had taken Villa to the Premier League, ironically beating Lampard’s Derby County in the Championship play-off final.
Smith has helped re-establish Villa as a Premier League side again, and that shouldn’t be forgotten easily.
Smith may not be able to keep Norwich in the top flight, but he would at the very least be a quality Championship boss if Norwich go down – something that the Canaries may factor into their decision.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
