Norwich City’s swoop for Daniel Farke labelled ‘sad’ by Ray Wilkins

Football pundit Ray Wilkins has hit out at Norwich City’s decision to appoint Daniel Farke as the club’s first overseas head coach.

Wilkins, speaking on Alan Brazil’s sports breakfast show on Talksport on Friday morning, believes City’s move for the Borussia Dortmund II chief is another slap in the face for British coaches.

“He was Borussia Dortmund’s reserve manager, which I find a little bit strange,” said the former Manchester United and England midfielder. “It tells us we are not getting a lot of respect from the clubs, to be perfectly honest. When you think of Ryan Giggs sitting out there, Tim Sherwood. Garry Monk, now without a job. We were talking to Alex McLeish on this show last week. All sitting out there, waiting for jobs.

“This is very sad that we are bringing in a reserve coach. I am just thinking about our guys. They do not get employed in Europe, that is quite sad. We are bringing in coaches we don’t know about and it is a tough old league that Championship. To walk into that 46-game league is tough and I just wish we would start using some of our young blokes.”

City’s sporting director Stuart Webber head-hunted Farke and made it clear at his unveiling on Thursday the German’s passport was not a consideration in targeting the highly-rated 40-year-old.

“Look at the Premier League 15 years ago,” he said. “It started to employ foreign coaches as well as players. Look at the Championship this year. I am not sure it is a coincidence that five of the top six sides had foreign coaches. For us, it was about the right choice, not foreign or British.

“We looked at some fantastic British candidates but this was about the right fit. I felt Daniel was that. It is a brave decision by the club but since I have come in I have found a club and a support, and a media, that is very open-minded to change. I think that is healthy and it made the decision to go down this route a lot easier.”