Ante Crnac has felt the weight of his Norwich City price tag after overcoming a sluggish start to life in England with a solid goal-scoring week for the club.
The Croatian youth international has had a lot of external criticism since Norwich paid £8.5 million plus add-ons to bring him to England from Polish club Rakow Czestochowa.
Despite Crnac’s lack of control over the price, it has put a strong spotlight on his performances as he adjusts to life at Carrow Road, particularly in the absence of the talismanic Josh Sargent due to injury.
Crnac has responded to a rough start by scoring three goals and providing an assist in back-to-back Championship triumphs over Plymouth Argyle and Luton Town.
“Of course, [the price tag] adds some pressure, but I personally don’t like reading or hearing about it. I came here to play football, to improve every day, in practice and in games.
“When I first arrived, things were terrible. It’s been a difficult few months, but I believe I’m getting along better with the lads and feeling better, which has been a relief this week,” he said. “I’ve been in Poland without my family for a year, and suddenly everything is new again.
I’m not used to it, yet I keep going day after day to continue working. I was always physically prepared, and in Poland, we played in the Europa League for the first part of the season, so we had a match every three days, which I was used to.
“Everyone has helped me a lot—Borja [Sainz], Callum [Doyle], and the older lads like Kenny [McLean] and Shane [Duffy]. It has been all of them; I can’t talk about just one. “The entire team, coaches, and people at the club are excellent.”
Crnac was serenaded by the Barclay as he was replaced late on, despite criticism following last weekend’s draw against West Brom – even if he didn’t comprehend the City fans’ chants until after the 4-2 triumph.
“It was nice, although I didn’t comprehend it very well. “The guys told me and showed me on the phones; it’s a big deal,” the youngster remarked. “I knew what kind of league this was.
It’s a well-known one, and I had seen football before coming here, so I knew it would be quick and brutal, and I understood what I was getting into.
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