Despite positives amid defeat, skipper Grant Hanley knows full well that Norwich City have to improve on their efforts against Liverpool to succeed in the Premier League.

The Scotland defender was straight back into action despite not getting a minute of pre-season game time as he returned from a hamstring injury, having to isolate due to City’s outbreak of Covid-19.

Hanley acknowledged there were plenty of bright sparks during the 3-0 loss to the 2020 champions but was in no mood to celebrate that too much, even with a large slice of misfortune for the first two goals.

“We started the game well, we definitely showed lots of courage, bravery and intent, we put our personality out on the pitch and we played our game,” said the centre-back.

“But we’re playing at the top level and if you make little mistakes, you get punished, more often than not.

“So pleasing but still lots of room for improvement and we want to be competitive at this level, so we need to improve.”

The tough opener is followed by a daunting trip to reigning champions Manchester City on Saturday, followed by a home game against Leicester and – after the September international break - a trip to Arsenal.

"We’ve got to have belief in what we’re doing – and we’ve got that in the dressing room,” continued Hanley, speaking to City's official YouTube channel.

“With the lads that have come in, they’ve shown their quality and you could see that they add something to our group.

“So definitely some positives to take but we’ll keep looking to improve.”

The 29-year-old got to experience some supporters returning to stadiums during the Euros, including just over 20,000 at Wembley as he played a key role in a 0-0 draw with England in June.

Returning to a full capacity of over 27,000 at Carrow Road proved a memorable occasion though, with an epic atmosphere welcoming the teams to the pitch.

“It was massive, massive! Luckily some of us got to experience some of that this summer at the Euros, so it was nice to get the fans back,” Hanley added.

“Especially for them as well, it’s been a long time coming getting fans back in the stadium.

“Hopefully they enjoyed it and hopefully we can keep improving and get the results that we’re looking for.”

- You can listen to our review of the Liverpool game in the latest episode of the Pink Un Podcast above, or by clicking here

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