City boss gets the best out of Pukki because he knows striker ‘as a player and a person’
Teemu Pukki is congratulated by head coach Daniel Farke after his hat-trick against Newcastle Picture: Paul Chesterton/Focus Images - Credit: Paul Chesterton/Focus Images Ltd
Daniel Farke’s guidance has played a major role in helping Teemu Pukki take his career to the next level with Norwich City.
The Finland international has been the talk of the football world after scoring four goals in two Premier League games to sit top of the scoring charts alongside Manchester City and England star Raheem Sterling.
Having had a taste of top-level football with Schalke previously, scoring eight goals in 37 games in the Bundesliga between 2011 and 2013, a 30-goal promotion season with the Canaries has allowed Pukki to arrive in the English top flight full of confidence.
"He knew already before I came here how I am as a player and a person," the 29-year-old said of his head coach.
"He is good at pushing all of us, you can see that many players have developed under him, so he is a big part of what we are doing."
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Since signing on a free transfer from Danish side Brondby last summer Pukki has been on a scoring spree, with his hat-trick during Saturday's 3-1 home in over Newcastle taking his tally for club and country to 40 goals in 58 games since joining Norwich.
"It's been a great couple of years already in my life," he added. "I'm just happy with how things are going and I hope and believe things will keep going well."
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Despite his superb goal-scoring form, one of the biggest cheers for the Finn on Saturday was when he charged back almost the length of the pitch to help defender Grant Hanley get out of a tough spot.
"It helps me in my game to get in the game," Pukki said. "That's something that every player should be willing to do for their team-mates, so that's important."
The former Celtic striker also admits that his goal at Anfield on the opening night of the season - reducing the deficit to 4-1 against European champions Liverpool with a typically clinical finish after being picked out by Emi Buendia - had played a big part in supercharging his confidence for the Newcastle game.
"Of course the first goal is always something you want to get out of the way as fast as possible," he continued.
"So it was important to get that there, against the best defenders in the world, you could say. And I thought us, as a team, that we can create a lot of chances and score."
