The quality and attitude of two Norwich City players has been hailed by head coach Daniel Farke ahead of two milestones potentially being reached at Blackburn this afternoon.
Teemu Pukki is on the verge of making his 100th appearance for City and the club’s longest-serving current player, Alex Tettey, will reach 250 if he features against Rovers.
If Pukki could combine that landmark with two goals then he will also reach 50 for the Canaries, to draw level with World Cup winner Martin Peters in 23rd place in the club’s all-time list of top scorers.
“It’s fantastic what Teemu has done for this club in terms of his appearances, outstanding, and also his goal average is unbelievable for this level,” Farke said of the striker signed on a free transfer from Brondby in 2018.
“He won the Golden Boot at Championship level two seasons ago, he was selected as the best player as well. He was there with double figures in the Premier League and right now he has had a more than decent start to the season.
“He is the main man and the big star in Finland. Even when the prime ministers of other countries visit the present is always the shirt of Teemu Pukki, so it says a lot about the responsibilities and the pressure that is on him.
“But how he handles this, also for us being in this outstanding role and every defensive line concentrates on him and wants to try to take him out of the game, but he consistently delivers with goals.
“Also his humbleness, how he handled this and how grounded and level he is, he’s a team player and loves to be around his team-mates.”
Tettey, 34, is in his ninth and potentially final season with the Canaries as his contract is due to expire at the end of the campaign.
Farke hopes not though, joking: “I tell him each and every day that he will be able to rest for 60 years on the sofa and enjoy the snow in Norway, he can eat lots of chocolate and cake, and things like this in the future.
“But one thing is for sure, I won’t allow him to finish his playing career until he’s in his 40s! So 250 is not the end, it is just a step and he has to keep going, that for sure.”
The former Norway midfielder will become just the 40th player to rack up 250 appearances in a Norwich shirt, having signed from Rennes for a reported £3million in 2012.
“If you are capable of playing 250 games on this level then it is a sign of unbelievable quality, a sign of unbelievable commitment and also of an unbelievable personality,” Farke said.
“Sometimes a club wants to bring in fresh blood but not with Alexander Tettey, it’s more like we have to pray that each season that he goes further on and doesn’t return to Norway to enjoy the snow over there.
“Like Teemu, he is a great ambassador. We never have to speak about a move to a different club or something like this, I’m unbelievably happy that I have him.
“In terms of quality he always helps us on the pitch and off the pitch, you can always count on him, he is always there with a smile and in a good mood, always professional.
“When he is playing he is concentrated and focused, when he’s on the bench he is concentrated and focused, even if he doesn’t make it into the game day squad you can always count on him.”
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