Norwich City will reap the benefits of keeping Bali Mumba at Plymouth this season, in the view of his former boss Dean Smith.

Mumba’s impressive displays for the League One promotion chasing Pilgrims, including scoring twice against arch rivals Ipswich, fuelled talk of a potential January recall.

But ex-City chief Smith was keen for the 21-year-old to finish the job, with Mumba also set for a Wembley date next month in the Football League Trophy final against Bolton.

“I worked with Bali pre season and last season at Norwich City,” said the 51-year-old, who is yet to return to the game following his festive dismissal by the Canaries. “A young player who had his first chance at Sunderland, came into Norwich and unfortunately had the likes of Max Aarons ahead of him so game time was going to be tough. But definitely one for the future and I have enjoyed watching him.

“I have been to watch him a few times for Plymouth. We sent him to Peterborough last season as well. He is one who has flourished with regular game time. There was talk of him going back to Norwich in January. I didn’t think that was right for him.

"I felt he would benefit from a full season of playing, hopefully get promoted, and now he has the opportunity to play at Wembley and win a trophy. I think that will be a big bonus for him at Norwich.

"He is a great lad. I messaged him a couple of times and he replied, who is this? So he hadn’t obviously stored the manager’s number in his phone.”

Smith was linked with the job at Huddersfield prior to Neil Warnock’s return, and has been spotted watching games at Manchester City and old clubs Walsall and Aston Villa since his departure.

“I think the loan system has always been good for players,” he said, interviewed on the Not the Top 20 podcast. “We can go back as far as David Beckham going to Preston. JT (John Terry), my assistant at (Aston) Villa, had time at Nottingham Forest. Even more so now because squads are bigger.

"Especially at Premier League level. I think they need to go and get the experience of playing, playing alongside men who have a will to win that is maybe bigger than you get at academy level. There will be players at League One and League Two who maybe need those bonuses.”

Smith left his Norwich role following the Boxing Day 2-1 Championship loss at Luton, after a fractious home defeat to Blackburn a few days earlier. 

The former Walsall, Brentford and Aston Villa boss was barracked by a large section of the Carrow Road crowd, and responded by questioning the narrative around him and his style of play in his post-match media briefing.

Smith won 16 of his 56 matches in charge during a 13-month spell, after initially replacing Daniel Farke with a brief to try and keep the club in the Premier League.

City finished rock-bottom last season but after going top of the Championship in early September slipped down the table culminating in a festive dismissal.

David Wagner replaced Smith as Norwich head coach, and has guided the club back inside the top six following Saturday's 3-2 comeback win at Millwall.