Emmanuel Adegboyega is returning to Norwich City a much better player than the one who arrived on loan at Dundee United.
That’s the view of the 21-year-old defender, whose strong showings in Tangerine have led the Canaries to activate their option to extend his Carrow Road contract for an additional year.
Adegboyega knows that without the trust placed in him by United boss Jim Goodwin, his parent club may not have kept him on this summer.
And he credits the Europe-bound Tangerines, whom he would have happily considered rejoining had Norwich failed to act, with playing a key role in his development.
He said: “On a scale of one-to-ten, I have to say what I have learned is nine-and-a-half!
“From the player I was when I came to Dundee United, I have improved a lot. I am not saying I was a bad player, but I have learned so much game-to-game.
“As a young player, you learn from playing matches – not from sitting on the side-lines or playing in reserve games.
“In a match there’s something on the line; there’s points on the line and the chance to move up the table, it’s so much more important.
“You can learn in training but it’s a different level doing it in league games. It’s about playing in big games every weekend. That’s what improves you.
“I have played 30-something games (for United) and that’s currency for me. That’s getting real experience in a very good league, against good teams.
“The player I have become from the start until now, I just can’t believe it.”
Asked to pinpoint some of the areas of greatest improvement in his game, Adegboyega did not have to ponder his options for long.
“The biggest things? Reading the game and learning to love defending,” he said.
“The gaffer always says to us, the first thing is to be a good defender. When you’re a centre half and not on the ball, it’s about getting a picture and reading the game.
“And in any game, you’ve won and kept a clean sheet, that’s when it feels the best.”
Adegboyega is returning to a Norwich City side that finished mid-table in the EFL Championship last season.
As far as divisions go, the English second tier is a “Land of the Giants”-type affair.
But Adegboyega insists nothing the game down south has to offer could possibly be as physical as his first taste of football in Scotland.
He said: “I remember after the first game against Ross County away, I told someone I thought it was like rugby up here! There was so much aggression, it was so physical. That game really was like a rugby match and the players were so intense.
“The pitch; the journey – everything played into it.
“After that, I knew I was in for a challenge. I knew I had to strap myself in and get ready.
“I had only trained twice before it, so it was straight into the game. It was a test. After that, it was just about getting into the culture of Dundee United and learning what it’s about playing here.”
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