'I was scared' - Teemu Pukki drops honest Norwich City claim | OneFootball

Former Norwich City striker Teemu Pukki has admitted he feared the Canaries were heading for League One before the arrival of Philippe Clement.

It is fair to say that it was a turbulent campaign for Norwich City in the Championship last season.

Norwich began last season with hopes of mounting a promotion push following the appointment of Liam Manning, who had made the move from Bristol City after leading the Robins to a sixth-placed finish in the previous campaign.

However, Manning's time at Carrow Road proved to be a disaster, with the 40-year-old winning just three of his 17 games in charge and failing to pick up a single point at home, and he was sacked in November with the Canaries sitting 23rd in the table.

With supporters also protesting against sporting director Ben Knapper, it looked as though Norwich were in serious danger of dropping into League One, but the arrival of Philippe Clement had a transformative effect on their season.

The Canaries were one of the form teams in the Championship under Clement in the second half of the season, and while reaching the play-offs proved to be a step too far after their nightmare start, they eventually finished the campaign in ninth place, just seven points adrift of the top six.

Teemu Pukki reveals Norwich City relegation fear prior to Philippe Clement appointment

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Given that Norwich have traditionally challenged at the top end of the Championship in recent times, their struggles in the early part of the season came as a shock to many, including club legend Teemu Pukki.

Pukki scored 88 goals in 210 appearances during a hugely successful five-year spell at Carrow Road between 2018 and 2023, hitting double figures in each of the club's second tier title-winning seasons under Daniel Farke, and he admitted he was concerned about the prospect of his former club being relegated to League One before Clement's arrival.

"I was scared, to be honest. It was in December and I was really worried about what might happen," Pukki told the Pink Un.

"Obviously, then Clement came in and everything changed. From the position they were in before he arrived to almost reaching the play-offs, it tells you everything about the work he’s done.

"Now he’ll get a full pre-season and the chance to bring in the players he wants. I’m optimistic about next season and hoping they can keep building on what they’ve done over the last couple of months.

"Hopefully, we’ll get Premier League football back at Carrow Road soon, maybe the season after next."

Pukki was certainly no stranger to finding the back of the net in the Championship, and he backed the likes of Mathias Kvistgaarden, Mo Toure and Jovon Makama to deliver the goals for Norwich next season.

"It is exciting. Obviously, Kvistgaarden has been playing in a slightly different position. Toure came in really well and started scoring goals quite impressively with the way he did it. Makama then picked up an injury after being so impressive, which is not easy to deal with after you’ve just got going. But hopefully he’s fit now and can build up again in pre-season," Pukki said.

"There are now really, really good options who have shown they can score at that level.

"They are different types of players as well, so it gives the staff the chance to pick the ones who fit best. Hopefully, they can do well next season."

Norwich City fans will share Teemu Pukki hope after Philippe Clement turnaround

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With results in decline on the pitch and increasing discontent in the stands, it was difficult not to fear the worst for Norwich towards the end of Manning's tenure, but they are now heading in the right direction under Clement.

After the impressive upturn in form under Clement, the Canaries will likely be tipped as one of the promotion favourites next season, and providing they are able to deal with the pressure of higher expectations, they should be more than capable of finishing in the top eight.

While the jury is still out on Kvistgaarden, Toure and Makama proved that they can be prolific scorers at Championship level last season, and if they can stay clear of injuries, they could follow in Pukki's footsteps and fire Norwich to the Premier League.