“Had to take a lot of punches” – Former player delivers eye-catching verdict on Norwich City spell | OneFootball

Dinamo Zagreb striker Josip Drmic has suggested he “had to take a lot of punches” and was “written off in England” during his disappointing Norwich City spell but has now left that chapter behind him.

The Swiss forward joined the Canaries on a free transfer from Borussia Monchengladbach in 2019 but was little more than a bit-part player in his first season at Carrow Road and found himself out of favour completely after their relegation back to the Championship.

Having not played a single minute during the first half of the 2020/21 campaign, Drmic was loaned out to Croatian side HNK Rijeka late in the winter window and has revealed that move helped him get back on track.

Speaking to Bild ahead of Dinamo Zagreb’s Champions League victory over Chelsea, the 30-year-old did not hold back in his reflection on his time at Norwich.

He said: “It was a long road, nerve-wracking, I had to be super patient. I had to take a lot of punches, as the boxers say.

“Two years ago there were moments of desperation when I no longer believed that I would make it to the top again. I was written off in England. Luckily Rijeka got me and suddenly the world turned again.”

On falling out of favour completely in 2020/21, he added: “I don’t even think about that. My performance and my goals just show that I’m on the right track. I left the Norwich chapter behind me. Every goal is for the future.”

Drmic only featured as a substitute in last night’s victory against Chelsea but has made a strong start to life in the Croatian capital – scoring five goals and providing two assists in 14 appearances for his new club.

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The Verdict

The Swiss striker has not held back in his assessment of his time at Norwich, where he clearly feels like he was a little hard done by.

He made 24 appearances in total for Norwich, mostly from the bench, and scored three times but was perhaps a victim of the team’s struggles and subsequent relegation in his debut season at Carrow Road.

Leaving the club has clearly been the best thing for everyone involved and it’s a period that both parties would likely rather forget.

Though he’s not minced his words, Drmic hasn’t taken any pot shots at Norwich either.