Jamal Lewis will forever be grateful for Daniel Farke’s faith in launching his Norwich City career.

The 22-year-old has had to battle Sam Byram at times in the Premier League this season but is now regarded as one of the club’s best young talents and already a first choice for Northern Ireland.

Lewis is using football’s current lockdown to reflect on the speed of his startling rise.

“He made me feel like I was his first choice when he came in and that gave me a world of confidence,” he said. “You can then show what you can do.

“As a young player you can play simple, because you don’t want to make a mistake in front of your team-mates and just want to get through the game, but when you have the type of manager who pushes you then you are not afraid to make those mistakes and you can shine.

“He is great with the young boys.

“He can lose his temper when we are not performing at the level he knows we are capable of, but you understand that.”

Lewis admits life in the top flight this season has been tough, but hopes City get a chance to complete the current campaign.

“Resume the season and play it out. That is what I am hoping for,” he said, interviewed on The United Stand youtube channel. “We hope this extension to the original lockdown ends and maybe there can be some restrictions lifted and that might allow us to train together, and then the ball can start rolling from there.

“I was always ready for the step up. I knew it would be another level but maybe I underestimated the mid-to-lower teams in the league. I didn’t think their quality, both individually and collectively, would be as high as it is. We played some teams at the start you might have felt we could compete with and we would be on top for 10 minutes and then they would score and shut the game off.

“Last year in the Championship we were used to bringing back games and we always had that hope, but these teams can take that away from you by spoiling the game or just knowing how to win.

“Every opponent has top quality.

“It is a realisation. It is a humbling experience.

“ You put in a lot of hard work, you believe in yourself and your team and what you are striving to do but there are levels and it shows you what they are.

“I am grateful to experience it so you can strive to match up.”