Esbjerg have sold Jacob Sørensen to Norwich City with a heavy heart but with a realisation that the midfielder has earned his move to England, according to the Danish club’s sporting director.

The Denmark Under-21 international has signed a three-year deal with the Canaries having made 118 senior appearances for his hometown club, which is based on the west coast of the Scandinavian country.

Sporting director Jimmi Nagel Jacobsen told his club’s website: “First and foremost, we are happy on Lungi’s behalf. He has been a good player for EfB for a long time and at the same time a fantastic team-mate, so it is fully deserved that a big and exciting challenge now awaits in England.

“It is important that skilled players go all the way from EfB academy to the first team and from there on to good places abroad, so it is a really nice case for us.

“Of course, we would very much like to keep Lungi for a long time to come, but in terms of his performance, the interest has been steadily increasing for a long time, and since we have also been met by a financially attractive offer, we judged together that the time was ripe to a club change.”

The 22-year-old is a defensive midfielder who can also play at centre-back, who joins the Canaries ahead of their return to the Championship.

Esbjerg’s website also carries quotes from Sørensen saying farewell to a club that he has been affiliated with since he was just two years old, saying: “I describe myself as a real EfB, and you can safely say that this is my second family.

“I feel, however, that it is the right time to move on now, but I am annoyed that I could not help keep EfB in the Super League.

“To all the blue and white fans I would like to say thank you - you have always been behind and been with me all the way, and it has meant a lot to me. I hope that you will continue to support.”