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Daniel Farke hails headline-grabber Jordan Rhodes but admits thoughts with the injured Louis Thompson after 2-1 Aston Villa win
Daniel Farke and Jordan Rhodes together at the final whistle - Credit: Paul Chesterton/Focus Images Ltd
Jordan Rhodes deserved top billing for Daniel Farke after his match-winning brace on Tuesday night in Norwich City's 2-1 Championship win over Aston Villa.
Rhodes has had to bide his time behind the prolific Teemu Pukki but came to the party at Carrow Road to seal a second comeback victory in four days to move Farke's side up to fourth.
'I am pretty happy for him because no one deserves to be the hero more than him,' said Farke. 'Of course the team is the hero but he deserves the headlines and he will handle it.
'I am happy for Jordan. From the first day he walked in I appreciated being able to work with him. It is a real pleasure for me. Even in the times when he had to wait a bit on the bench he was always there with so much support and so much commitment towards what we are doing.
'For me, in this football business when a lot of people are thinking about themselves or contracts, Jordan's character is outstanding.
'That is a sign of his quality and his success. He has unbelievable quality and ability inside the penalty box but then when we have this attitude to always think about the group and what is good for the club then you will always earn the longer term benefit.
'That is what happened in recent weeks with Jordan.'
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Louis Thompson's suspected dislocated shoulder injury took the gloss off City's triumph.
Thompson was sidelined for two years after undergoing two Achilles operations but the combative midfielder fell awkwardly barely a minute after his stoppage time arrival at Carrow Road.
The 23-year-old, who only signed a new longer term deal over the recent international break, went to hospital straight after the game to assess the extent of his latest injury.
'It is really disappointing. You get the feeling that this lad has all the bad luck going in football,' said Farke. 'He was out for two years and then some muscle injuries when he came back and then he falls on his shoulder.
'It looks like a dislocation. It is very, very painful at the moment.
'All our thoughts are with Louis. It doesn't look too good at the moment. We hope the doctors say it is not too bad but we are at his side.
'He had a small injury in pre-season to his shoulder but I don't know if it was the same shoulder. You have the feeling why is it always happening to this guy. Everything happens for a reason and if you show his commitment and this attitude and the pride he has to play for the club then you don't deserve this bad luck. He will come back stronger than before after some more dark hours.'
City moved up to fourth thanks to Jordan Rhodes' second half brace, but Farke is more interested in the growing points total at this stage.
'The position in the table is not so important,' he said. 'It is not a coincidence though because we have several good performances in a row. We are already happy to have so many points in the early stage of the season but the most important thing is to be concentrated on each and every game.
'It is good to be in such a relaxed position.
'We are enjoying ourselves but we must keep our feet on the ground and work on this level. We have to keep pressing and working hard or we won't get our rewards.'