Sam McCallum is one Norwich City player who will not suffer a Premier League hangover – he loves the Championship.

The 21-year-old spent a second consecutive season on loan in the second tier at QPR, as the Canaries toiled in another top flight relegation.

But Dean Smith wants him to challenge Dimi Giannoulis for the left back spot, and McCallum has the edge on what to expect with the inside track on the Championship.

McCallum is desperate to make his mark at Carrow Road as he targets a first league appearance for the Canaries since his original move from Coventry in January 2020.

“I love the league. I could even say I’m in my element now. I enjoy it,” he said. “I am used to the games coming thick and fast. In the last couple of seasons the standard has got a lot better.

"Especially for this season as well, with us and Watford coming down and then Wigan, Sunderland and Rotherham coming back up. I feel like it will be a good league. The top half will be tight but hopefully we can get automatic promotion.

“My time at QPR was a big learning curve for me. I had my first big injury of my career, but I took a lot of things out of the season, both on and off the pitch. It was difficult not getting into the swing of things like the season before when I played 36, 37 games.”

A late outing in a home league win against Derby County brought added pressure when Smith and his assistant, Craig Shakespeare, made a spying mission to Loftus Road.

“That was a good test for me because Malcolm Ebiowei was playing against me. He's a very good player, a very good winger,” said McCallum. “He's nippy so it was a good challenge and I enjoyed it.

"I've had a couple of conversations regarding what he wants me to do and spoken to Shakey quite a few times.

"Basically they want me to kick on and just be myself really, because at the end of the day that's what I've been signed for and that's what the gaffer wants, otherwise he would not have brought me back in here - he would have sent me out on loan.

“I feel comfortable coming back in. We've re-grouped and we're feeling strong for the season ahead.”

McCallum started Friday’s 4-0 pre-season opening friendly win at Dereham. But the competition will ramp up from here, with Giannoulis and the rest of City’s international contingent expected to link up with the squad at their German tour base during this week.

Norwich sign off their eight-day trip with a friendly on Saturday against Bundesliga 2 side SSV Jahn Regensburg.

“I'm quite an athletic wing back/full back. If the gaffer prefers to go with the four, like he did at Dereham, I can obviously fill in that position as well,” said McCallum. “I feel like I'm good in the air, got a good long throw and overall just read the game well.

“I need to get my head down. In pre-season, it's a clean slate, and everyone's on the same level. The first ambition is to be in the gaffer’s starting line on the opening day. Other than that, just to take it day by day.

"He doesn't really know what I'm like.

"He's seen me for the last couple of weeks, and I was here for the final week of training last season. Hopefully I'll get some more games.”