Crook thrilled by Canaries return

Ian Crook was working for A-League side Newcastle Jets in Australia

Norwich City's new first team coach Ian Crook says he thought he had missed his chance to return to the club after applying to be manager in 2006.

The former Canaries midfielder is now working with new manager Bryan Gunn, having played for City from 1986-1997.

Crook applied for the vacant manager's post at the time Peter Grant was appointed in October 2006.

He told BBC Radio Norfolk: "I thought maybe I had missed the boat and it was never going to happen."

Crook initially joined the Canaries from Tottenham as a 23-year-old in 1986 and went on to make 418 appearances for the club.

He played alongside Gunn in the City team that finished third in the Premier League in 1992/93 and subsequently knocked Bayern Munich out of the Uefa Cup.

Crook left in 1997 to sign for Japanese side Sanfrecce Hiroshima and has since coached in Japan and Australia.

He was high performance manager for A-League side Newcastle Jets in Australia when the call from Norwich came.

"It was hard to leave Australia, it's become a home but both my sons were born in Norwich and the opportunity to come back was overwhelming," he said.