Norwich City: Kenny McLean targets Premier League bid

The Scottish international signed a new longer Carrow Road contract earlier this season, after summer transfer interest from Daniel Farke’s Leeds.

McLean will be a key figure this weekend when Farke returns to Norfolk for the first time as the Championship resumes following the international period.

The Scot was a double title winner under Farke and wants another promotion before he calls time on his Canaries’ career.

“This contract at Norwich takes me to 34 or maybe 35 if I trigger my last year. Everything is good. The club’s ambitions match my own,” he said. “I’ve been part of two league-winning teams at Norwich so we can build that again. When you’ve had that kind of success, you want it again.

“I can see the plan the club has to try and take us to the next level. That’s something I want to be part of. Everyone wants to be in the Premier League and I’ll have that opportunity while I’m at Norwich.

“That (Leeds interest) was put to bed pretty quickly. It happens a lot, but Norwich showed commitment to me and vice versa. There are a lot of big clubs in the Championship but I’m confident in the squad we have.”

McLean has led from the front in the injury absence of Grant Hanley in the early part of the club season, but has had a bit-part role in Scotland’s bid to reach the European Championship finals - although there was a match-winning late strike to sink Norway in June.

The midfielder is in line to feature in a glamour friendly against France on Tuesday, and is desperate to get a shot at the Euros after cruelly missing out on the last tournament through injury.

McLean suffered knee ligament damage in a final day Championship game at Barnsley in 2021 that ruled him out of the pandemic-delayed Euro 2020 finals.

“I had that disappointment with the last Euros but I am all about what we do as a nation and as a team,” he said. “I was happy to play my part leading up to it. But it wasn’t about me. We earned the chance to qualify and it was great for the lads to get that deserved chance.

"I have played my part again, and to go there again would maybe mean that bit more to me because I missed out last time.

“Touch wood I can stay fit and healthy and I will get the opportunity to be there. I am 31 now. If I am not starting I am not going to spit the dummy. I know my role in the squad and within the team. I will come and help as much as I can and draw on experience to help the others.

"We have a very strong midfield so I don’t turn up expecting to play too many games. But the manager knows he can rely on me and I have shown that when I have been given the opportunity.”

McLean is relishing a crack at the French, who beat a Republic of Ireland line up featuring club mates Shane Duffy and Adam Idah 2-0 last month in their Euro qualifying section.

“Their brains are mush after that,” he said, quoted by the Scotsman. “Everybody wants to be playing against the best and when you come away with Scotland you get that opportunity. But our Irish lads at Norwich are still scarred by their games against them. They took a bit of a battering. They spoke about a lot of their players.

"The quality – the names of (Eduardo) Camavinga, (Aurelien) Tchouameni, (Antoine) Griezmann and (Osmane) Dembele all came up. Every player they have is world class and that is something we look forward to. It’s about us putting ourselves up against the best but we have some top players who play at that level too.

“We will back ourselves to go and get a result. It’s a friendly, but we want to win every game. We have done so well to build good momentum as a squad and togetherness.

"Listen we won’t be shouting from the rooftops but we know the quality and ability we have in this changing room. Throw in that togetherness and the way we fight for each other and we have a chance against anybody. We know it’s going to be a tough task.”