Josh Sargent’s goal record may not be too exciting but the forward is known for ‘phenomenal’ work rate and will continue to develop at Norwich City, according to a Bundesliga expert.

Former ITV Anglia sports reporter Dan O’Hagan, who has been providing commentary for Canaries games during pre-season, spends much of his working life providing English commentary for German football on outlets such as BT Sport.

Having seen 21-year-old Sargent in action for Werder Bremen on many occasions in recent years, the former Match of the Day commentator is well-placed to provide City fans with insight into what the American is capable of.

He arrives in England having scored 15 games in 83 matches for Bremen during the last three seasons, joining for an initial fee reportedly worth around £8million.

“A player who is nowhere near the finished article yet, he is a work in progress,” O’Hagan explained.

“He came to Bremen from the USA, where he was prolific in youth football, did great things in Werder Bremen’s reserve team in the regional leagues and then got his break in the Bundesliga.

“I think he scored with his first touch in the Bundesliga, on his debut, which was remarkable.

“His goals record maybe isn’t the best, I think it’s 11 goals in 70 games in the Bundesliga, which isn’t prolific by any stretch of the imagination. But as I say, a work in progress.”

The USA international is primarily a striker but can also play out wide – and although his goal return may be under-whelming, there is much more to his game.

“His work rate is phenomenal, a real team player,” continued O’Hagan. “The former coach at Bremen, Florian Kohfeldt, almost made him the first name on the team-sheet last season because of that incredible team mindedness and work ethic.

“Norwich are getting a player who has two or three years of playing as a first-choice in a major European league and I think in terms of where he fits into Norwich’s squad and system, I’d put him somewhere between Teemu Pukki and Adam Idah.

“Pukki we know is the recognised, seasoned, first-choice striker. Idah has got great potential but is nowhere near being ready to be a Premier League starter.

“I think Sargent is there for the occasions when Pukki is tired or is maybe out for three or four games. You wouldn’t want to put Idah in as a starter yet for any length of time, Sargent maybe you could do.

“If it’s as a number two striker, he’s been around the Bundesliga now for a number of seasons, and the price they’ve paid I think in the modern day is a fairly reasonable fee.

“He comes in and brings Norwich a lot to that squad that they maybe don’t have at the moment.”

Sargent was signed on Monday but could be in contention to feature in the Premier League opener against Liverpool at Carrow Road on Saturday.

That’s thanks to two goals in two games in Bundesliga Two already this season, following Bremen’s first relegation in 41 years.

He joins former Werder team-mate Milot Rashica in joining Norwich since that relegation but Canaries fans are assured that disappointment couldn’t be blamed on the attacking duo.

“Sargent came into a Bremen team who were struggling even three or four years ago,” O’Hagan continued, speaking on the Pink Un YouTube channel.

“That relegation last season didn’t come out of the blue, it was on the cards for a number of years, so he’s never really played at the top level in a really good team.

“So it’s maybe unfair to judge that goals record when he’s been playing for a team that are not really firing.

“Maybe in a better team where there’s more service forthcoming, of course he knows Milot Rashica from their time at Bremen together, but hasn’t played with the other guys at Norwich yet.

“We’ll see how he gets on, I wouldn’t read too much into that goals record yet, there is a player there, trust me, there is a player in Josh Sargent.

“Give him time because he’s not 22 until the end of February, he’s a relatively inexperienced player at the top level and he’s got five goals in 16 games for the US national team which is a good return at that level.

“So don’t read too much into those goals at club level yet, he maybe hasn’t found the right club or the right system yet to suit his undoubted qualities.”

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NCFC EXTRA: Hard worker Sargent and his journey from Missouri to Norwich City