Norwich City came up trumps with £3m French transfer agreement | OneFootball

Alex Tettey became a Norwich City legend after joining the Canaries from Rennes for £3m in 2012

Norwich City are currently enduring their third successive season at Championship level, but the Carrow Road faithful will have fonder memories of their club's three-year stint in the Premier League last decade, which began at the start of the 2011/12 season, and finished at the conclusion of a tricky 2013/14 term.

Canaries supporters are unlikely to ever forget the 2011/12 top-flight season, in which their side finished 12th in the Premier League, just one year on from earning automatic promotion from the Championship.

But in a once unfathomable manner, the Norfolk side defied the odds yet again, and went one better as they finished 11th at the end of the 2012/13 top-flight campaign.

One figure who was key to the unlikely success of the Canaries' 2012/13 season was Norway international Alex Tettey, who then Norwich manager Chris Hughton brought to Carrow Road from French Ligue 1 side Rennes during the summer of 2012.

Tettey became a Norwich legend

The midfielder joined Norwich for a fee in the region of £3m, which seemed like a reasonable price for a player who had made 10 Europa League appearances for Rennes during the previous 2011/12 campaign.

But as the years rolled by, the Norwegian ensured that the Canaries would go on to view the money they spent on him as an absolute bargain.

Tettey established himself as a key member of Hughton's side shortly after his Carrow Road arrival, and made 27 Premier League appearances during his first season in English football, while his first goal for the club came in the EFL Cup.

But his first top-flight goal in Canaries colours would not arrive until the 2013/14 season, following which the Norfolk side suffered relegation back to the Championship, despite the former Rosenborg man's best efforts throughout his 21 league outings.

While the Canaries were sad to suffer relegation to the second tier in 2014, they soon bounced back to the Premier League via the Championship play-offs in 2015.

Tettey was central to his side's promotion winning exploits, as he was as dynamic as ever, and produced a return of two goals and one assist, which was his best ever return during his Norwich days.

His most memorable moment in a Canaries shirt arrived during the subsequent 2015/16 Premier League season, as he scored during a 2-1 away win over Manchester United in December 2015, and provided the club's supporters with a magical moment to savour, despite their eventual relegation.

He was then a key figure for the Canaries, and a consistently reliable cog in their machine for three consecutive Championship seasons, right up until the first of two second tier titles the Carrow Road side won under the stewardship of former boss Daniel Farke in 2019.

Tettey was once again a vital player for his club during the 2019/20 Premier League campaign, but could not prevent them from suffering yet another relegation from the top-flight.

But following a remarkable 2020/21 campaign, the Canaries won their second Championship title under Farke, and Tettey's long stint with the Norfolk outfit came to an apt end.

Tettey's Canaries exploits are a tough act to follow

After joining the Canaries for a fee of £3m back in 2012, Tettey provided the club with nine notable seasons of exemplary service, in which he helped them to three promotions, and also played a key role during the 2012/13 season, which was one of their best ever campaigns at Premier League level.

The Norwegian's inspiring exploits over the years at Carrow Road have provided an incredibly tough act to follow for any midfielder who joins the club in the future, or who currently plies their trade for Norwich.