Goalkeeper Michael McGovern is delighted to see his club Norwich City make a swift return to the Premier League with the Norfolk club securing promotion back to the top flight last week. Brentford and Swansea’s failure to win on Saturday meant that the Canaries could not be caught in the race for the automatic places from the Championship.

“It is brilliant, I’m absolutely delighted personally and I’m absolutely delighted for everybody at the football club - all the players, management team and all the staff in the background as well. It is great to be part of a successful club,” said McGovern.

The Northern Ireland international was also pleased to have played his part in taking the club back up. McGovern stepped in when Tim Krul picked up an injury and showed his best form with a string of impressive performances before getting injured himself.

“It was great to play this season more than any other recent season.

“Two seasons ago I was part of the squad that got promotion and that was nice but I didn’t play any games.

“This season I played a number of games and helped the boys win some of them. It was nice to contribute on the pitch, it was very pleasing from a personal point of view to contribute in some part to the season,” he stated.

Making an immediate return was the goal for the Canaries from the start of the season but as McGovern explains it can be a tough league to get out of.

“That was the target but it is a target for a lot of teams in this league. It is probably the toughest league in the world in terms of the competitiveness to get to the big league, to the riches of the Premier League.

“It is a really difficult task and we knew at the start of the season that it wasn’t going to be easy but thankfully we have been good enough over the course of the season to go and earn the right to play in the Premier League next season so we are delighted.”

Indeed, he feels this season the Championship was even tougher than it normally would be.

“It’s a relentless league and I think this year with the league being condensed into a shorter timeframe because of Covid it has been even harder than any other year in terms of the demands that it puts on the players.

“It is the same amount of games but they are played in a shorter time so it has been extra hard but it just shows you how good an achievement it has been from the players to wrap up promotion with five games to go in that context.”

Having gained promotion, the aim now for Norwich will be to go up as champions says the Enniskillen native.

“That’s the goal. We have been the best team this season up to this point and we want to finish it off by getting the trophy and the medal that comes with it, that’s the aim for the last three games,” he added.

In terms of his own future, it is understood that McGovern is in discussions with Sporting Director Stuart Webber regarding a new contract to keep him at the club when they return to the Premier League but for now the focus is getting back to full match fitness following injury.

“I have been back in full training for a week now.

“I had been on the grass with the goalkeeping coach for a couple of weeks before that so I’m building my way back now to match sharpness,” said Michael.