Former Norwich City loan keeper Ralf Fahrmann is not bitter at his treatment in England but admitted he expected more from a Carrow Road spell.

The Schalke 04 stopper was brought in to compete with Tim Krul but failed to oust the Dutchman from the Premier League line up and cut short his stint earlier this year in a bid for regular football at Brann.

Fahrmann made only three senior appearances, and featured for just 22 minutes in the Premier League at Crystal Palace.

The 31-year-old’s plan to get game time during the Norwegian summer league, before returning to his parent club to fight for the number one spot, is currently on hold due to the coronavirus shutdown.

But the German, speaking to transfermarkt.de, has now opened up on a failed loan move to City.

“There’s no question that it didn’t go perfectly (laughs),” he said. “Last summer, the situation was for me that Schalke absolutely wanted to extend the contract with Alex Nübel. I knew there would be no chance for me.

“I then agreed with Schalke to borrow for a year so that I could gain as much experience as possible in the Premier League . The idea sounded great, but unfortunately I wasn’t really happy at Norwich.

“The constellation there simply wasn’t right for me.

“There were many things that weren’t so rosy. So it was clear to me: Okay, I’ll be back in the summer, especially since I’ve still had a three-year contract with Schalke.

“In England everything is not as tactical as in Germany. It looks less at the opponent and more at your own game. And I got to know a different mentality and culture and how the English tick. It will be the same in Norway now, I have to deal with a lot of new people and I can get to know the mentality of the Scandinavians a little better. But the fact is also: I am happy when I am back home.”

Fahrmann dismissed any suggestion his move to England will be deemed a total failure.

“It is completely normal for the question to be asked. I imagined everything differently, no question at all. But it is always like this: you have your dream and then you have to see how things develop,” he said.

“I always tried to make the best of the situation, I stepped on the gas and I am in top shape. Even if things weren’t going so well, I had a lot of experience - positive and negative.

“For me personally, the year was also a total enrichment away from football. That will definitely help me for the future. Everyone knows that Schalke is my dream club and that I am settled there. Since I was 14, I’ve been to Schalke all the time - except for two years at Eintracht Frankfurt.

“I am now in a year in which I have been able to gain a lot of experience, also away from football.

“I want a fair chance. And when I receive it, I am so convinced that I can be number one again. But it’s also clear: I don’t want to get anything for free. I have never wanted that in the past and it will never be the same in the future.

“I just want to be treated fairly. And I think I deserve that too.”