Alex Tettey should not be in a rush to call time on his Norwich City playing career.

The long-serving midfielder is in the final months of his current Carrow Road deal as he closes in on nine years service with the Canaries.

Tettey has been largely used from the bench this season with Olly Skipp, Kenny McLean and Lukas Rupp the regular central midfield options.

The Norwegian recently hinted he might opt for the coaching route at the end of his contract and would love to learn from head coach Daniel Farke.

City sporting director Stuart Webber, however, insists Tettey’s loyalty to the club means they are prepared to explore all options.

“We normally have a conversation every March where I give him the wiggly finger for a chat and we will no doubt do that again in the international break,” said Webber. "We also have Mario (Vrancic) to consider, who is out of contract as well this summer and Michael McGovern, who I have already had a conversation about extending his stay.

"All three are important as not just players but people. With Alex I didn’t see those quotes about coaching but we feel he still has so much to offer on the pitch, whatever division we are in, before he worries too much about coaching.

"He will get the respect he deserves from the club. Alex will know it is not as simple as hanging up your boots and becoming a first team coach.

"There is a journey to go on to get to that level. When the time is right we will speak.

“Alex is experienced enough to realise he has a job to do on the pitch and around the group right at this minute. There is no one better than him to know how to get through these last 18 games. But one thing he will know is we are fair with the people who do well for us.”

Tettey is bidding for a hat-trick of Championship promotions but he is not the only one who can draw on that type of experience in the City camp.

“We have a manager who has won this league, which is huge. Plus all the staff and some here have done it three and four times,” said Webber. “Myself I have done it at a couple of clubs and so have lots of the players. If you were walking around Colney the place is calm.

"We are realistic. This is a brutal league, every three days on poor pitches in a condensed schedule.

"You just have to get through it and not start trying to predict how many points we can get from these games.

"No, just try to beat Stoke. We are not quite on the run in. Maybe five games away from the real business end when the pressure steps up a notch.

"We had a lot of focus on us in the recent months as the team coming down from the Premier League, the team leading the way, the team who won it last time. Now Swansea and Brentford can have their turn.

"After Swansea beat us there will be people saying they are favourites to win the league and win 18 in a row. It becomes a different pressure then. Where everything you do is analysed.

"It is not really pressure, it is realism."