Martin Olsson: A Norwich City love story full of ups and downs

Like many in the past decade, he has experienced the thrills of promotion and the lows of relegation during a four-year spell in Norfolk. As he sits down to speak exclusively to the Pink Un, it is clear he has only fond memories of his time at Carrow Road.

His journey after departing Norfolk has taken him back to his home country where, at the age of 33, he is playing Champions League football and won the Swedish title with Malmo last season.

"It came from nowhere. I was in another club last season for half a season and then Malmo came in for me. Then I had the chance to play Champions League football.

"It's always been a dream and to get it this late in my career is a bonus. It's been a really good year for me," Olsson said.

Since Olsson departed Norfolk to join Swansea in January 2017, the club has transformed drastically.

Alex Neil was still at the helm. The role of a sporting director didn't exist and Norwich were months away from Daniel Farke walking through the door.

In total, the Swedish international made 129 appearances for City between 2013 to 2017. Many would argue that Norwich haven't had a better left-back since he departed.

That point is up for debate, but Olsson has fond memories of his spell in yellow and green.

"I had some great memories there," Olsson said speaking for Malmo's training ground via video link.

"As a team, it was a bit up and down but individually I think I did my best and played some decent football at Norwich.

"I love Carrow Road. It was always sold out - as were the away games as well. Especially when we went up from the Championship to the Premier League, that whole season was great.

"I only have good things to say about the club and the city of Norwich."

Olsson's arrival at Norwich was somewhat overshadowed by the signings of Ricky van Wolfswinkel, Nathan Redmond and Leroy Fer which generated a bigger response from City fans during a hectic summer of exciting transfer activity back in 2013.

In the end, Olsson would stay longer at the club than any of those players signed in that heavy spending window.

Olsson signed for City from Blackburn Rovers, the club who brought him to England from Högaborgs BK as a youngster. After progressing up the ranks, he was an established member of their side in the top-flight before financial disaster took hold at Ewood Park.

"I really wasn't going to leave," Olsson admitted. "But because of the financial situation, they tried to get rid of me to get a fee.

"At the beginning, it was West Ham who was first in line with Sam Allardyce in charge. But Blackburn didn't want me to go there and a few weeks later Chris Hughton called me up and wanted me to come to Norwich.

"I felt it was a good opportunity to go and I had a really good season. I think it was my best year at Norwich. I didn't know much about the club but as soon as I had been there for a season I realised it was a big fanbase and understood how much people loved their football there.

"The demands were pretty high as well. It felt like every game we had to play well otherwise you could hear it easily from around the stadium. I enjoyed my time. I'm happy I was there and I think I played some good football there."

Throughout our chat that lasted over half an hour, Olsson described Norwich as a 'cosy' city that allowed him to focus on football.

But his first year at the club did result in relegation to the Championship. Individually, his performances were consistently impressive. He was voted second in the player of the season vote behind Robert Snodgrass, something the Swede takes great pride in.

City boss Hughton was relieved of his duties with five matches to go. Despite supporters feeling that decision was fair, Olsson still admits to feeling some frustration that the ex-Brighton and Forest boss was sacked at that stage of the season.

"It's frustrating now when I think about it. I think we could have been safe that season if we kept Hughton. That is what happens (in football).

"We trained a lot on the defensive part but I enjoyed that. If I look at it at my side, he helped me become a better player. He is a very good man. I respect him a lot.

"I'm sure that if he stayed until the end of the season instead of making the changes we did that we would have had a better chance to stay in the league," Olsson said.

Throughout his time in Norfolk, Olsson reveals that West Ham United made five separate offers to sign him. There was also interest from West Brom.

After both relegations, Olsson admitted that he asked to leave Norwich to pursue his Premier League dreams.

"Personally, I felt like I'd had a good season, I liked the guys in the dressing room and everything was good but West Ham came in and they'd already been in for me at Blackburn.

"I felt that it was the chance to try something new. Obviously, that didn't work out. I'm not sure how many times West Ham came in for me (during the spell at Norwich). It must have been like five times.

"Sometimes deals don't go through but I respected my team-mates and I tried to do my best for as long as I was with Norwich. It was very close when Slaven Bilic was in charge but it didn't go through," he said.

"I just had to focus on Norwich. I wanted to stay in the Premier League. But the memories I have from that season now are incredible."

It was at this point that our chat was gatecrashed by Olsson's team-mate and former Ipswich Town defender Jonas Knudsen, who smirks as he discovers the chat is about Norwich.

Although Championship football wasn't something that Olsson had planned for, he adapted well.

He formed a crucial part of the side that Alex Neil inherited and installed what Olsson describes as an 'aggressiveness' into the group. After a year of frustration, the Scot installed a winning mentality and made his squad feel fearless.

"I liked him more when he was angry. I got more pumped up.

"After a few weeks with him, I felt like we could win any game. When we played away games, we knew we were going to win even if it was against one of the tougher teams," Olsson said.

"I felt we would win every game. He put so much confidence into us, even in the play-off final. We were so relaxed. There was no stress at the training ground all week, I just had a sense that we were going to win that game."

Olsson was a part of that famous day at Wembley where Norwich swaggered past Middlesbrough to earn their place in the Premier League.

It may not have been the conventional route back to the top-flight, but few expected that season to end in promotion when Neil initially walked into the job.

The mere mention of that famous day back in 2015 prompts a smile from the 33-year-old, who admits it ranks among his best days in football, in spite of subsequently winning the Swedish title and playing in the Champions League.

"It is right up there with the best moments of my career," Olsson said.

"I still have some of the videos on my phone that my brother filmed. Even to this day, I get a smile on my face when I watch it back.

"It's a different way to come up to the Premier League but it's a way that I really enjoyed, as well. It was a hot summer's day in London. The party afterwards was good as well!"

The Wembley win offered Olsson a route back into the Premier League, the place where he wanted to be.

With reflection, Olsson feels that both of the Canaries' squads he was involved in under both Hughton and Neil should have retained their status.

That seemed likely in 2016 when the left-back's late strike secured a dramatic 3-2 victory over Newcastle United at Carrow Road. It was a win that moved them four points clear of the relegation zone with five games to play.

Despite that memorable moment and the hope that ensued, City were relegated from the Premier League after subsequent defeats to relegation rivals Crystal Palace and Allardyce's Sunderland. Reflecting on that disappointing relegation, Olsson shares his regret and disappointment even six years later.

"I thought it would be the goal that kept us safe but that's the Premier League.

"It's frustrating but that day was a great day. It was electric, the fans were jumping out of their seats and it was a good finish as well.

"In those seasons we were so close. We gave it a good go but we were just one or two games short. That makes it more frustrating. Teams like Sunderland picked up and got going. We had a good enough squad to stay up.

"It's the same even now at Norwich. They go up and down and aren't really staying in the league. We were much closer to staying in the league compared to now."

After yet another summer of speculation and his agent publicly expressing Olsson's desire to move on from Carrow Road, once again a move failed to materialise.

With his contract running out, Olsson was content to see it out at Carrow Road. Given the sheer amount of change that took place after Neil's departure, who knows what might have transpired.

In the end, Olsson's desired move to the Premier League arrived when he least expected it.

After turning up at Colney one day, he was summoned into Neil's office to be informed a fee had been agreed with Swansea City.

Despite being surprised, Olsson opted to move to south Wales after being pressed for a quick decision by both parties.

"That one I didn't ask for," Olsson said.

"I nearly went to West Ham a few times and it didn't go through. I remember it was in January and Alex Neil wanted to speak to me in his office.

"He just said they agreed (a fee) with Swansea for me to go. So it was quick because they wanted to get money for me. They wanted the deal to go through.

"Before then, when I could have left for West Ham, I tried to make it work because I wanted to go. But after they said no the fifth time, I just thought about enjoying it here and my focus was just at Norwich. From nowhere, it was suddenly them saying 'Swansea want you. You can leave'.

"I had to make a quick decision. I said 'okay,. I'll try it out'. I wasn't arguing with Alex Neil. I spoke to Paul Clement and I liked him so I had to make a quick decision and it felt like the best one to make then."

Given what happened at Norwich thereafter, was there any part of Olsson that is left wondering what might have been?

"In January, I never tried to leave. I thought Alex Neil would stay for longer. I didn't know that they would change to Daniel Farke.

"Right there and then, when Swansea came up and it was in the Premier League, both Norwich and I said 'okay' I will go there. It's hard to say now but it's not like I tried to force myself out."

- You can watch the exclusive chat with former Norwich City defender Martin Olsson from 7pm this evening