Norwich City must now serve up reward for risky signing | OneFootball

Emiliano Marcondes has proved he deserves another year at Norwich City.

Emiliano Marcondes came into Norwich City with little expectation, but he's now one of the most consistent performers in Johannes Hoff Thorup's side.

The 29-year-old Dane was brought to the club as a free agent at a time when Norwich were wrought with injuries.

It's fair to say that, at the time, it seemed nothing more than cover to help alleviate City's attacking woes. That's perhaps why he was only given a contract until the end of the season, with an option for an extension.

But now, he's become a mainstay in Thorup's starting XI, it only feels like a matter of time before he's rewarded with a contract extension.

Marcondes didn't have an easy road to Norwich

Marcondes first came to England with Brentford, signing from Thorup's old side FC Nordsjælland in 2018. Despite a rocky start to his career in England and some injury issues, he etched himself into Championship history by scoring in the play-off final against Swansea City 2021, helping send the Bees up to the big time.

Despite helping them win promotion, the London club decided not to renew his contract. He joined Bournemouth as a free transfer.

Whilst on the south coast, he was subject to two loan spells. First with Nordsjælland, where he'd once again link up with his future Canaries boss, and then at Scottish side Hibernian.

Once again, he was released by his club and left as a free agent once his spell in Scotland was over.

That summer he lost his father and he said: "I have not been in such a hurry to find a new club".

But when Thorup came knocking, Marcondes saw it as the right time to step back onto the pitch again. Despite what was no doubt an incredibly challenging time, he says it motivates him "like crazy". That motivation is perhaps why it's a no-brainer that he should be given an extended stay in Norfolk.

Marcondes was a risky Norwich signing

As with most free agent signings, there comes little expectation. They're often brought in to plug gaps or bolster squad options, and it was likely the same story with Marcondes.

But when Norwich were battling a major injury crisis, Marcondes' services were called on more than most had expected - and he slotted in seamlessly.

Going from no club to the starting XI in the Championship is no small feat, especially with Thorup's heavy reliance on his midfielders.

Thorup said: "With the way that we play, with the high pressing, with a lot of movements in midfield, it is a demanding role to be a midfielder with us."

But given his previous links with Thorup, it's clear to see why he was the ideal free agent at the time. There was no time for a new signing to adapt, so why not bring someone in who already knows what the manager wants.

But his fitness may have been a concern. Despite continuing to train over the summer, getting back to being able to play a full 90 minutes is all the more difficult without a pre-season. Fortunately, he had to play so many games, he quickly came back up to speed whilst on the pitch.

At this point, he's almost one of the first names on the team sheet. His intelligence on the ball, eye for a killer pass and willingness to dig deep has meant he's been a key part of Norwich's attacking line-up this season. He's picked up four goals and five assists, but he's keen to get on the ball and play through the lines when possible. It has lead to 41 big chances this season already.

His 'mastery' of the dark arts, as prescribed by Tom Cleverley, doesn't go amiss either.

In a team where younger players dominate the line-up, Marcondes is the exact player Thorup needed to shore up the side, but also to utilise his experience to help those young guns thrive.

But most importantly, he wants a future at Carrow Road. The club took a chance on him, he's taken that chance and given everything he's got with it. It's now time to reward him with what he deserves and throw him a new contract.