Fit-again number one Tim Krul hailed a captain’s display from Alex Tettey following Norwich City’s first clean sheet of the Premier League season.

The defensive midfielder had missed the Canaries' last two games through injury, compounding the absence of Tom Trybull, but came back to help the Canaries draw 0-0 at Bournemouth - bouncing back from a 5-1 home defeat to Aston Villa.

"It was needed," Krul admitted. "We got rewarded for everything we spoke about during the week, it's always easy to say things but to put it in play today was the most important thing.

"Injuries were definitely an excuse but look at Alex in midfield, it was a captain's performance and that's what we've been missing.

"You can't expect Mo Leitner and Kenny McLean to do that sitting role when they are both more attacking.

"We've learned a lot of lessons over the last few weeks, we've beaten the best in the world and we've seen the other side of the Premier League as well, that on any day you think it's going to be easy, you're going to get hammered."

Tettey, 33, had missed two games with a thigh problem but brought all of his experience to the fray, dropping into defence when Ben Godfrey limped off injured five minutes into the second half.

The Pink Un: Norwich City midfielder Alex Tettey keeps a close eye on Bournemouth striker Callum Wilson at the Vitality Stadium Picture: Mark Kerton/PA WireNorwich City midfielder Alex Tettey keeps a close eye on Bournemouth striker Callum Wilson at the Vitality Stadium Picture: Mark Kerton/PA Wire (Image: PA Wire)

"He's amazing, everyone loves him around the place, he's such a cooling head. Everyone calls him grandad," Krul joked. "But, with respect, you can see that he calms everybody down and that rubs off on the other players, Max (Aarons) and Jamal (Lewis) benefitted from it."

The Holland international - who made a crucial save to deny Dominic Solanke in the first half - could only watch the loss to Villa from the stands a fortnight earlier, after a side strain which forced him to play through the pain during a 2-0 loss at Burnley last month, also missing a 2-0 defeat at Crystal Palace.

"It was horrible to watch, especially our last home game because we were building something," he reflected. "But I think the crowd realised as well that this was a one-off thing, that wasn't us against Villa. That was us (at Bournemouth) and maybe on another day we would have taken the three points."

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