Daniel Farke is pledging Duncan Forbes’ Norwich City ‘family’ will do all they can to give him a fitting send-off against Manchester United.

The Pink Un: Daniel Farke is determined to give club legend Duncan Forbes a perfect footballing send-off Picture: Paul Chesterton/Focus Images LtdDaniel Farke is determined to give club legend Duncan Forbes a perfect footballing send-off Picture: Paul Chesterton/Focus Images Ltd (Image: Paul Chesterton)

Farke and his squad paid their own respects to the iconic Canaries' legend on Friday with a moment's silence before training at Colney.

Further tributes are planned in the lead-up to United's Premier League visit on Sunday afternoon, and the City head coach insists Forbes will never be forgotten.

"This bond between Duncan, the fans and a family club is something special and something I value so much," said Farke. "We have values and we won't forget what happened in the past.

"We don't only think of the now and the future. Of course you plan for the future but the club is always bigger than one head coach, one player, one sporting director.

"The spirit and the unity of the family are more important. He will live further on, not only in our thoughts on Sunday but also for the next years and centuries. That's for sure.

"We are one big family at this club. I am pretty sure he is somewhere else right now with his fingers crossed for success for this club.

"When something happens to our family be sure our thoughts are with his loved ones.

"It's important in these moments to remember there are more important things than just a game of football. Duncan Forbes is a club legend and all our thoughts are with his family and friends. He was a club icon. Sadly I never had the chance to meet him but I have heard a lot about him."

Farke knows it will be an emotional occasion but insists Forbes himself would want the modern-day Canaries to focus on the job in hand.

"It's quite important to feel the emotions but when the referee blows the whistle to concentrate on what we have to do, because this is exactly how Duncan would have approached it," said the City head coach.

"He would not want us to be too emotional or get carried away. He was a role model for being professional, for giving everything for the club and for leading this club to success.

"I won't use this for extra motivation. That wouldn't be fair. We can be emotional before the kick off but then we must be fully concentrated, because it's exactly what Duncan would have wished."