Bradley Johnson insists there will be no room for sentiment when he lines up for Derby County against Norwich City on Wednesday evening.

Johnson remembers his time at Carrow Road with a great deal of fondness and his swashbuckling displays helped City to promotion in 2015.

However, he was surprisingly sold by City for around £6m to the Rams the following summer and he came back to haunt his former side two seasons ago by getting the winner at Pride Park.

City's travelling contingent are likely to show their appreciation to the 31-year-old but he will be doing everything he can to ensure they don't go back to Norfolk with smiles on their faces.

'It's a game I always look forward to playing in,' he said. 'They (Norwich fans) always give me a good reception.

'I've got a lot of good memories from my time there but it's business and I want to beat them.'

Johnson is adapting to a more defensive role in Frank Lampard's side, who go into the match on the back of a 1-0 defeat at Derby at the weekend.

'I feel I'm playing well but we know it's a long season and it's down to me now to keep the jersey,' he said. 'It's going well. I'm more of the holding player and it's a new role for me - but I'm enjoying it.

'Whenever I play, I'll always give 100 percent and when the team is playing well, it makes my job easier.

'Then there is Bryse (Craig Bryson) who never stops running. He is an infectious player to have around.

'And Mounty (Mason Mount) has been brilliant. He's got everything and can win games by himself.'

City will be looking to make it six wins in a row and are likely to prove a different proposition to Derby than Bolton offered at the weekend.

'Bolton sat back in two banks of four and we played into their hands,' added Johnson. 'After conceding an early goal, it's always an uphill battle.

'And the longer the game goes on, the more frustrated you become.

'I thought we played well in patches but we were disappointed overall, especially after the Man United game.

'We just needed to be clinical and better in the final third.'