Norwich City loanee Sam McCallum is on a winner at Coventry City for Daniel Farke.

McCallum was not eligible to face his parent club in Saturday’s 2-0 FA Cup third round defeat, but the left-sided defender has emerged as a regular Championship performer for the Sky Blues in recent weeks.

The Canaries have targeted a potential left back signing in the January window, but Farke still views the 20-year-old as part of the long term plan.

“Sam is a great lad and full of potential. He came to us from a lower league and it’s always difficult to make the next step,” said Farke. “We assessed him during the pre-season and in his first cup game and we saw many, many topics that we really liked.

“But it’s also so important for such a lad. He’s not 18 any more and at his age he needs to play minutes.

“The one topic in his game is that he’s always good going forward, with his crosses and his offensive ability. He has to learn and adapt a little bit in terms of defending, and that’s quite normal for him and we got the feeling that at Coventry he’s at a good possession side.

“But it’s not like they are favourites for the title so they will have to defend in order to be always solid. So it’s definitely a great surrounding for him to add to this side of his game and become an all-round player.”

McCallum has made 19 Championship appearances for the Sky Blues after re-joining the club following his Norwich City move last season. Farke feels McCallum now has to prove he can make the step up.

“For us, let’s be honest, the demands in our squad are even a bit higher because we need to win each and every game in order to finish in the top position,” he said.

“Last season we played at Premier League level and it’s still a difference, so he has to make some steps in order to be there one day.

“So we have got the feeling that it’s a great surrounding for him. He had a few problems to get many minutes in the start but in recent games he’s been playing and I’m pretty delighted and hopefully it goes on like that for him.”