Norwich City captain Grant Hanley is happy to be well along the comeback trail after an encouraging 67 minutes playing for the club's under-21s.

Hanley started for Alan Neilson's side as they were beaten 4-3 by Premier League 2 table toppers Tottenham Hotspur, being replaced by young prospect Charlie Wilson in a planned change midway through the second half.

It was his first competitive appearance in seven months after suffering an achilles injury at Blackburn in April, and one he felt was a significant landmark on his road to recovery.

"Obviously it's a big marker for me personally," he said, "and a big box to tick in terms of my rehab. Nice to get back on the pitch, and I enjoyed being out there against an opponent who are decent at this level.

"They had some good individual quality, so I got tested at times and quite exposed at times. All in all, I think personally it was a big step in my progress.

"You get the kit on, you get your shin pads on, it is always slightly different to training. You're playing against an opponent, and it's a competitive game at the end of the day.

"So although it's not got the pressure of a first-team fixture, it's certainly a step up from training. More than anything, from a centre-back point of view, getting your distances and timing is important."

The 31-year-old received a yellow card for a mistimed tackle midway through the first half, but felt that otherwise he held up to the pace of the game despite his time on the sidelines.

"Fitness-wise it wasn't a problem, and now I feel fine," he continued. "I think I've probably done harder training sessions than that, but it's getting your eye back in, that's the biggest test and the biggest part of progress from these games."