Norwich City’s highly-rated young defender Ben Godfrey insists getting linked with mega-money transfer moves will not turn his head.

Godfrey and the likes of Max Aarons, Jamal Lewis and Todd Cantwell have all had to deal with endless speculation touting them with some of the biggest clubs in the land during this season.

The England Under-21 centre back extended his Carrow Road stay last summer until at least 2023, and admits that profile is one of the downsides to playing in the richest league in the world.

“You will drive yourself insane if you look at the reports about yourself. You will not be able to play at your best, your energy will be getting directed elsewhere,” he said. “We have a young team, we are in the Premier League and we play attractive football. I think if there wasn’t rumours going around we would be doing something wrong.

“But for me it is something you just let your friends, your family or whatever get excited about and you just focus on your job from week to week.

“It is a skill that you have to develop as a footballer.”

Godfrey and Norwich City await the green light to see whether the professional game can resume this season, with football on hold due to the global pandemic.

It marks a rare career pause for the 22-year-old who only established himself in Farke’s backline during last season’s run to the Championship title.

“My career to this point has always been that snowball effect, picking up, achieving new things, always learning and that is what I thrive off,” he said. “Even the 18 months before sitting on the bench for Norwich was a mad journey, in terms of coming from League Two, then going on loan in League One and doing well.

“I am hungry to smash one thing and then re-set and go for the next thing.

“That is good for your head. To always have a goal in front of you. If you get stuck on one thing or one level the hunger can go, and you see that in other young players.

“It is always nice to look back and savour what you have done but I am always chasing something new.

“I have spent some of this time looking at previous game clips just to try and learn a bit more and make sure this period does not go to waste.”