There is certainly a place for Ashley Barnes in Norwich City's new era, according to head coach Johannes Hoff Thorup.

The striker featured for the first time in more than six months as the Canaries beat his former side Plymouth Argyle on Tuesday, coming on as a substitute to play on his own up front.

Thorup says that's where he sees Barnes fitting into his system, as the 35-year-old returns from injury to bolster a threadbare attacking department.


"I see him for us as a 'nine'," said the City boss. "I think we can easily find a role for him where he can drop and link the game and find that space in between the back line and the midfield line.

"That will be fine, but we need him in the box for us. He is a player who I've never trained before, so the time he's been in with us now is the first time I've seen him in training.

"But he's a good link-up player, and I can see that he will be valuable for us. He can link with the midfield, he can link with the wingers, but it's important still that we get his presence in the box.

"I don't think we should underestimate his qualities reading the game, he's clever. I watched back some of his late Burnley performances from when they were in the Championship a couple of seasons ago and I think he did well.

"Of course he will never produce numbers like Marcelino (Nunez) for us, that's impossible, but I think he will organise that first line of pressing well."

As well as the mentoring role that comes naturally to Barnes, Thorup believes his presence will mean a more balanced workload for summer signing Ante Crnac.

"Actually with Barnesy I don't have to do much, because he's doing it himself," he continued. "He's great out there on the pitch with the other ones, he's supporting and really a good team-mate.

"So it's just natural and it will happen. But it will be good for Ante, because it also means that we don't have to play him for 90 minutes every time. We didn't plan for him to play more or less all of the minutes for us."