Johannes Hoff Thorup revealed summer chats with Grant Hanley, Kenny McLean and his new coaches helped get the ball rolling on his Norwich City tenure.

The Dane was keen to get the introductions out of the way before meeting up with his squad for pre-season.

City open up at Northampton Town on Saturday in their first pre-season friendly, although the likes of Hanley, McLean, Angus Gunn and the club's Copa America contingent will not be involved.

But Thorup wanted key figures on board with his City plans, in the aftermath of replacing David Wagner.

“It was important both to the captain and vice captain and some of the players in that leadership role on the team, just to give them a little bit of clarity on what they can expect,” he said. “It was a chance also just to have a conversation and also for them to tell me who they are, so it's not when they step back in for pre-season that we are meeting for the first time.

"No, we have met and we have spoken to each other. And they know what the pre-season will look like.

“Again, just like with the players, Ben (Knapper) and I had a meeting during the summer holidays, and we decided that it would actually be a good idea to reach out to the coaches also to let them know what the plans were for the future, and how we see them in the project as well.

“I think some of them were on vacation, and different places all over the world, while we did these meetings. We also did it when we had the first day of pre-season, and it's an ongoing process.

"But, again, the feeling that I have is that they are really eager to get started in the way that we want to do things, and also we can be inspired by some of the things that they can do.”

Thorup has got the response he wanted from his new squad in the opening two weeks of pre-season work at Colney.

“Very good so far,” he said. “With some of the national team guys still away it means that we have a little more time with some of the younger guys, to see them, and they can have a fair chance. “Some good sessions and a nice and easy to start to implement the way that we're going to play.

"And then of course, some of the senior guys they will join in Monday from next week, and then some will come in a bit later. But it's good.”