David Wagner says Norwich City's good form has "united the club again" after four years of frustration for Canaries fans.

Wagner's side start their Championship play-off campaign with a semi-final first leg against Leeds United this weekend, hoping to cap six months of momentum with a Premier League return.

Even qualifying for the mini-tournament looked an impossibility when City languished at 17th back in November, but after an unbeaten home run of 16 games the German feels his squad have supporters back on side.

"Our football club was anything but united," he recalled. "It was against the board, against Stuart Webber, against me, against Delia (Smith.) But to be fair, if I reflect then I understand it.

"I don't think it was only about the couple of months when we were so poor. I think it was an accumulation of relegation from the Premier League, then getting promoted in Covid when no one was able to celebrate. Then they got relegated again and then they finished 13th.

"It was four years without joy or fun, and again you think as a supporter: 'We had four years without celebrating and now we've had these months.'

"I understand it, even if it wasn't joy at this moment. But we've now united this club again; everyone is together and we as a group were able to pay something back."

A significant focus on experience last summer came under severe scrutiny, along with various tactical and ideological decisions made by Wagner throughout the campaign. The 52-year-old says a top-six finish vindicates those choices, however.

"We had to make the right decisions and be brave as well," he continued. "I know not everybody understood or liked a few of the decisions we took, but big credit to Stuart Webber for backing me in this moment.

"This satisfies me really, that at the end of the season everybody sees that it payed off. We have done what we've done for a reason. We have a 25pc chance to be a Premier League club again."