Norwich City have issued Neil Adams with a three-year contract, despite the temptation to appoint a more experienced hand as permanent manager.
Following the decision to sack Chris Hughton in April, Adams was placed in charge of the Canaries on a caretaker basis after his impressive work with the club’s youth team. He was, however, unable to prevent the Carrow Road outfit from falling out of the Premier League, losing four of his five-match reign although he did oversee a goalless draw at title-chasing Chelsea.
With Norwich planning to return to the top-flight at the first time of asking, it was expected that they would turn to a more experienced option ahead of next season. Gianfranco Zola, who has managed West Ham United and Watford, admitted his interest in the position, whilst Neil Lennon was also linked after he called time on his four-year spell at Celtic.
But City have decided to stick with Adams, and have shown their faith in their former winger by handing him a three-year contract. Chief executive David McNally has revealed the 48-year-old will be given funds to improve the squad during the summer, yet it is likely his toughest job will be keeping hold of the likes of Nathan Redmond and John Ruddy.
“The priority is to ensure that attacking, attractive and winning football is once again the norm for supporters of this club, and it is essential that we now have everyone pulling in the same direction for the challenges that lie ahead,” said Adams, who had a five-and-a-half year spell at the club as a player in the 1990s, during which time he played over 200 games.
