Dean Smith must get the better of the ‘great survivor’ Nigel Pearson to maintain Norwich City’s Championship upturn at Bristol City’s expense.

The Canaries resume their promotion push on Wednesday night at Carrow Road, after the national game paused at the weekend as a mark of respect following the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

The wily Pearson has clocked up nearly a quarter of century in the dug out, dating back to Carlisle in 1998, and worked closely at a number of clubs with Smith’s assistant, Craig Shakespeare.

“I have come across him many times. He's a really good guy,” said the City chief. “Obviously Craig was his assistant for a number of years as well at West Brom, Leicester, Hull, back to Leicester and then Watford. He's got a really good insight of him.

“I think I am right but he was an FA educator when I did my ‘A’ licence, which was 15, 17 years ago, something like that. He knows all the tricks. I think he was the Carlisle manager when they famously stayed up with Jimmy Glass (the keeper) who scored that stoppage time goal, so his longevity is there for everybody to see.

“He's been an extremely good manager. A lot of people talk rightly about the team he built at Leicester was the team that went on and won the Premier League as well. Very well respected and very well liked as well.”

Pearson’s current side arrive at Carrow Road as joint top scorers in the division, and bang in form.

“I spent the past weekend watching their games, and they had a similar start to ourselves in so much as after three matches they only had one point,” said Smith. “In the last five games they won four and drew the other one.

"There's a real good intensity about how they play, especially from their front three. (Tommy) Conway, Nahki Wells and Andreas Weimann have shared 10 goals between them already. We've got to make sure we keep them quiet.”