Daniel Farke claimed Norwich City recruit was "good fit" - that was an understatement | OneFootball

The former Norwich boss could never have predicted the impact the striker would have

Few strikers had quite the impact at Norwich City as Teemu Pukki.

The Finland international made some special memories at Carrow Road as the club bounced between the Championship and Premier League over a five-season period.

Pukki adjusted perfectly each time, sticking with the club even in relegation.

Former Norwich boss Daniel Farke’s words on Pukki when he arrived — on a free transfer, no less — now seem like something of an understatement in hindsight.

Farke couldn’t have dreamt how important Pukki would be

Having been picked up from Danish side Brondby on a free, following relatively quiet spells at the likes of Schalke and Celtic, there were no guarantees Pukki was going to be a world beater, but Farke and Norwich took the risk.

Speaking about his signing, Farke said: “I’m very pleased with this signing. We got the feeling that Teemu is a good fit to our ideas because he is a technical player with really smart movements.

“He also has lots of speed which is also important. Wherever he plays, he was always able to be there with goals and assists.

“He’s a brilliant character as well so we are very pleased to have him with us.”

At the time, looking at his past record, Farke’s words may even have read slightly bullish, but looking back, they capture only a portion of the impact Pukki would have in reality.

The signing of Pukki will undoubtedly go down as one of the greatest deals the Canaries will ever sign, due partly to the low-cost nature of the move and how unexpected his impact was, something Farke could never have predicted from the offset.

It didn’t take long for Norwich to realise what a player they had on their hands — Pukki netted 29 times and provided a further 10 assists in 43 Championship appearances following his arrival.

That campaign set the tone for a fruitful stint with Norwich.

His goals contributed to the first of two promotions he’d achieve with the Canaries — and he adjusted well to Premier League life too.

He was at his most prolific in the Championship — as to be expected — but he was no slouch in the top tier either, netting 11 in both Premier League campaigns; a respectable total as part of a struggling Norwich side on both occasions.

He is undoubtedly a modern legend at Norwich

In total, Pukki turned out 210 times for the Canaries, netting 88 goals and providing a further 29 assists.

It’s a strong record considering some of the tough moments he endured with the club when facing relegation from the Premier League.

But he will always be welcomed back to Norwich for the vital role he played in two dream promotions, and the memories he gave fans along the way, writing himself into the history books at Carrow Road.

With that glorious spell behind us, it’s safe to say that Pukki was a little more than the “good fit” Farke predicted he would be.