Norwich City boss Dean Smith has detailed how Manchester United loanee Brandon Williams has improved since making the move to Carrow Road.
The 21-year-old will not be in action for the Canaries as they visit Old Trafford this afternoon, with the left-back ineligible to face his parent club. Ironically, he might have been in contention to play for United had he not been on loan, with Luke Shaw looking likely to miss the rest of the season through injury.
Williams made the move on loan to Norwich last summer, having made just four league appearances for United during the 2020/21 season. The England U21 international has managed to tie down a more regular spot at Carrow Road, making 27 league appearances this season, including 23 starts.
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And the Old Trafford academy graduate has become something of a fan favourite with the Canaries, showing good signs ahead of his return to United in the summer. According to Smith, the Reds’ new manager will be getting a much-improved player.
“I’d say he has improved and he is a very coachable player,” Smith told NorfolkLive. “And I think, like most of the loans that we have got here, the biggest compliment I can give them is that they feel like Norwich City footballers, and they have embraced being at Norwich City.
“I think that’s really important because you look at the size of the clubs that both Brandon [Williams] and Billy [Gilmour] have come from, Mathias [Normann] has come from Russia, Ozan [Kabak] from Germany, but they’ve embraced being Norwich City footballers. I think that’s a big plus, not just for them but for our football club as well.
“But Brandon has improved a hell of a lot and, you only have to speak to him yourself, he needed probably this season to get away from Manchester United and play regular games.”
Asked whether Williams could break into United’s first team next season, Smith replied: “That’s not a question for me, that’s a question for the Manchester United manager. Whoever that may be.”
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