Farke hails Gilmour potential – but no pressure to play him
Norwich head coach Daniel Farke maintains he is not under any extra pressure to give Billy Gilmour game time in the Premier League – but backed the on-loan Chelsea midfielder to prove himself at the top level.
Gilmour impressed for Scotland during the international break, helping Steve Clarke’s squad follow up a dramatic 3-2 stoppage-time win over Israel at Hampden Park with a battling victory away to the Faroe Islands.
The 20-year-old has started four Premier League games for the Canaries since completing a season-long loan from the Blues, but was an unused substitute for both the defeat at Everton and the goalless draw at Burnley when Norwich picked up a first point of the campaign.
Farke, though, rejected suggestions there was any extra focus on giving Gilmour and fellow loanee Brandon Williams additional match action unless based on merit.
“There is no pressure (to play
them), we are not here to develop players for other clubs, we are here to win points for this club," said Farke, whose bottom-of-the-table side host
Brighton on Saturday. “It is not about Gilmour, about Williams (on loan from Manchester United), Kenny Mclean or Temmu Pukki who are our players – we just like to play with the players to win points.
“This is also the challenge our loan players want – it is not like they want to play just because we have loaned them and the parent clubs want them to play.
“Of course, we have shown a lot that we can develop young players, help them to find the next step, if they are our own players or loan players, like (Tottenham midfielder) Oliver
Skipp, who is right now playing at a different level.
Farke, though, remains convinced Gilmour – who recovered from contracting Covid-19 during Euro 2020 – has all the attributes needed to carve out a successful career.
"Billy is a fantastic player, a fantastic human being and of course he wants to play each and every second," the Norwich boss said.
"If you love football, you love Gilmour because this guy is a baller, but he is also a young lad and we have to look after him. He has unbelievable potential."