‘Workaholic’ Daniel Farke will do what it takes to bring the good times back to Norwich City

Daniel Farke is working all the hours to ensure the Canaries hit the ground running ahead of the Championship kick-off at Fulham.

Farke faces a steep learning curve, after swapping Borussia Dortmund II for the English second tier, but the 40-year-old is undaunted by the size of the task.

“When you fulfil your dreams you don’t count the hours of working,” he says. “You just enjoy what you’re doing. I love to work in football, so for me it’s not work. I’m not here first in the morning and last in the evening because I think I have to prove I’m busy or working hard. When you want to do something extraordinary you have to be like a freak and to be something like a workaholic.

“Football is a business, it’s work, but you also need to make people happy. It’s not only being professional and being disciplined and concentrated, but it’s about fun and enjoying what you do. It’s important to have an atmosphere like that at the club.”

Farke, speaking to the Independent, has left his players in no doubt what is required.

“The times are over when a coach could work with fear, to try and damage guys, and they would run from the coach because they’re scared,” he said. “I have a pretty close relationship with my players, but on the other hand we’re not friends, they’re not my buddies sitting together every evening with a bottle of beer and a barbecue. I said the players can discuss things, but also there’s a time for a monologue, for when one person needs to speak in a dressing room. And that’s not a player. My door is open 24 hours. We can discuss things – I don’t think I’m a magician or the only guy who knows anything about football.”