Smith on verge of sealing Norwich job after Lampard pulls out of running

Norwich have offered former Aston Villa manager Dean Smith the opportunity to become their new head coach, according to multiple reports.

And it's believed the Premier League strugglers are expecting Smith to take the job within the next 48 hours.

Norwich have been looking for a new manager since sacking Daniel Farke seven days ago following a dreadful start to the season.

The Canaries are currently bottom of the Premier League after picking up just five points from their first 11 games.

If Smith's appointment is confirmed, he will find himself back in work just six days after being sacked by Villa.

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Reports suggest former Leicester manager Craig Shakespeare, who was Smith's assistant at Villa, will join him at Carrow Road.

Despite his recent sacking, Smith remains one of the most highly-respected English managers currently working in the game.

The ex-defender stabilised Walsall in League One during his four-and-a-half year spell at the club, guiding them to the EFL Trophy final in 2015.

He left the West Midlands club to join Brentford in November 2015, helping the London outfit record three top-half finishes in the Championship.

Smith's impressive work at Brentford saw him become Villa manager in October 2018 and he guided them back to the Premier League seven months after his appointment.

He then managed to keep the former European champions up for two seasons before his departure and - if reports are to be believed - will need to do the same at Norwich.

Rumours of Smith's appointment comes less than 24 hours after Frank Lampard pulled out of the running for the Carrow Road role.

The former Derby and Chelsea manager is said to be waiting for the right opportunity to come along. Mirror Football's chief football writer John Cross believes the Norwich job was too much of a risk for Lampard.

Ex-Crystal Palace Simon Jordan admitted he was concerned about Smith's Premier League career earlier this week.

Jordan said: "I worry for Dean Smith now, because I don't think Dean Smith gets another Premier League job because he doesn't have that sizzle that some of these other guys have.

"So you think Dean Smith has done a great job, got them out the Championship and I agree that it was built on a base that Steve Bruce built."

When asked if Smith was a better candidate than Lampard, Jordan replied: "Yes and no.

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"He's steady, but I don't think he's inspirational. If you look at his career path, Walsall, Brentford, Villa, he gets Villa because he gets Villa and he did a solid job at Brentford.

"I don't think Dean Smith would have got the Villa job if they were in the Premier League, I think he got it because he was a very good manager in the Championship with Brentford.

"Of course he got that right and the gears went through, promoted, stay in the Premier League, finished high in the Premier League."