Chris Hughton: 'I had a wonderful time at Newcastle United'

Norwich City manager Chris Hughton has spoken of his "special connection" with Newcastle United ahead of his old club's visit to Carrow Road this afternoon.

The 54-year-old spent three years as a coach and manager with the Magpies before his sacking in December 2010, leading them back to the Premier League following relegation to the Championship.

"I had a wonderful time there," he told BBC Sport. "There's a special connection for me because I had three years at Newcastle that I thoroughly enjoyed.

"For me there are a lot of comparisons between the support they have at Newcastle and the support that we have.

"It's a very local support that want to get behind their local team. But ultimately it's just about trying to win a football match."

The Canaries sit 12th in the table.