Hughton hails mentor Jol

Norwich City manager Chris Hughton has spoken of his huge admiration for Martin Jol ahead of their clash against Fulham on Saturday.

Hughton worked under Jol during the Dutchman’s time in charge at Tottenham before the pair was sacked by the north London outfit in October 2007.

The 54-year-old said he learned an ‘enormous amount’ from Jol, who he believes will demand Fulham finish higher than their current 13th place.

“Martin is a very good coach and manager and it was no surprise that after leaving Tottenham he went to Hamburg and Ajax,” Hughton told reporters.

“He is someone I have a lot of time for. In my time at Tottenham I probably worked closer with him than any of the other managers. We got on very well.

“I certainly learned from him, the way he sets up his teams and what he wants from them, the relationships he has with players. I learned an enormous amount from him.

“Fulham are a very well established Premier League team now. They have had to do it on a certain budget, very similar to ourselves.

“They have been able to develop year in and year out and as a club we can aspire to that too. Knowing Martin he won’t be satisfied. He will want and expect them to finish higher than they are.”

Norwich were boosted this week by the completion of a loan deal for Sporting Kansas City striker Kei Kamara, but Hughton said he may not be fit enough to feature against Fulham.

“He’s done well but we will assess him overnight and tomorrow,” he said.

“He can play anywhere across the forward line and scores goals and makes assists and will be a valuable asset but he is a little bit behind in match practice.”