Norwich manager Daniel Farke has expressed his pride at Everton’s Ben Godfrey joining ex-Canaries playmaker James Maddison in emerging as rising stars of the Premier League.
The German tutored the versatile defender last season when he starred at the back for the Norfolk club in the Premier League despite their relegation.
Farke believes the development of players like the Everton summer signing will help to cement Norwich as a leading club for the development of young, enthusiastic talents and will improve the overall standing of the club in world football.
£25m signing Godfrey has forced his way into Ancelotti’s thinking as the versatile bedrock of his defence, having featured as a full-back on either flank and as a centre-half at varying points in the current campaign.
The 23-year-old put in yet another stellar performance as he earned plaudits for his all-action heroics against arch-rivals Liverpool in the Toffees’ commanding 2-0 victory over the Reds last weekend – their first win at Anfield since 1999.
Speaking on Godfrey and Maddison [via Eastern Daily Press], Farke expressed his delight with the development of his former young prodigies, with the Everton defender recently being tipped for an England call-up. The Norwich boss said:
I’m delighted for them because they are brilliant lads, fantastic character. Sometimes when you have a little bit of time on the sofa you watch a little bit.
James Maddison, when I came here, it was a discussion that he had been out on loan before to Aberdeen and should we loan him out because the Championship is a bit too soon for him. We got the feeling, no, we want to improve him and want to bring him forward. The same with Ben Godfrey.
When I came in we had already sent him out on loan to Shrewsbury and he was a midfield player. We got the feeling that we would make a centre-back or full-back out of him and right now it is in this role that he is playing and shining a lot.
Farke then offered insights as to his sentimentality which comes with youth development:
I’m not proud of my work, I’m just proud of them because you can bring a young player to the door and try to work with him, to develop him and to improve him but they have to take the step through the door.
It’s totally up to Ben and James to get to the next step but it is also good that we produce such talents and that many of the best clubs in the world know that young players are in good hands at Norwich City.
That’s quite good for our reputation and quite good for our development as a club as well. Sadly Ben and James are not my players anymore and I am also looking forward to the moment when we are able to keep these type of quality players.
But they had outgrown the club a little bit, we had to accept this and hopefully one day we are capable to have this type of player for a bit longer in a Norwich shirt.
Read Everton Verdict
Farke’s comments on Godfrey having outgrown Norwich is humbling and a credit to his character. He clearly played a major role in making career-altering decisions for the better over the defender’s future but is modestly downplaying his contribution.
Everton fans arguably have Farke to thank for many of the standout attributes that Godfrey has swiftly brought to the Toffees’ line-up.
