Alex Neil will prove his mettle after the first real setback of his managerial career, says ex-Leeds chief Steve Evans.

The Glaswegian duo struck up an unlikely friendship following Neil's move south and the 53-year-old is convinced the Norwich City boss will emerge stronger for last season's Premier League relegation pain.

'Knowing the type of character he is there is no-one who would have been hurting in the aftermath as badly as himself,' said Evans. 'He was really down but he is very resilient. He showed that as a player and now as a manager to perform miracles to get into the Premier League. Sometimes you have to get knocked down to get up and come back stronger.

'No-one in this game goes through a whole career and experiences only success. I look at someone like Jose Mourinho, if anyone had said this time last summer Chelsea would be third bottom and he would be dismissed or Leicester City would win the title people would have been looking at you as if you were mad.

'Alex will come back stronger and focused on what he wants to achieve and he will make whatever changes he deems necessary. I am a big believer in Alex. I said that when they went up and I was still saying it when they came down.'

Norwich kick-off their Championship season at Blackburn on August 6.

'If anyone is going to be geared up for the new season it will be him,' said Evans. 'I read some quotes from Owen Coyle saying Norwich are among the favourites. I watched some of their games last season live and they were very unfortunate on certain occasions and I left Carrow Road thinking, How did they lose a game they had bossed?' Liverpool being the primary example of course.'