Tim Krul retains a soft spot for Newcastle United but there will be no divided loyalties when Norwich City target a first Premier League win of the season on Saturday.

The City number one spent 11 years with the Magpies, before Rafa Benitez deemed him surplus to requirements back in 2017. Krul admitted on Thursday he would have liked to have left through the 'front door' at St James' Park as he prepares for his first reunion.

"It will be a little strange. I still have a lot of friends up north, my wife's family is from there and I have a great connection with the club. It is more exciting than anything else," he said. "I have moved on, I didn't want to move the way I did but that is football.

"I have always had a great relationship with the Newcastle fans, they knew as well the way I left it wasn't meant to be like that.

"When you are at a club for 10 or 11 years you want to walk out through the front door.

"Enough has been said but the fans know that. We had some great moments, some amazing results, massive ups, a couple of downs, but that is all part of being involved in football.

"Yes it was definitely one of the first fixtures I looked for when they came out in the summer.

"With Liverpool for the first game, Newcastle second and then Chelsea third it was like 'wow' and then Manchester City in the fifth game.

"A hard, difficult start but an exciting one as well."

Krul produced a string of fine saves despite City's opening night 4-1 top flight defeat at Liverpool, and the Dutchman is urging the home fans to play their part against Steve Bruce's club at Carrow Road.

"It is great to be back in the Premier League and to be there with Norwich," he said. "The people in Norwich will be excited, perhaps by the manner we finished the game at Anfield and rightly so, but they have some threats up front for sure.

"I recorded the Newcastle versus Arsenal game and Newcastle is a good team.

"They have some new players who look lively and we have to be on top of our game. The way we played the second half at Anfield has to be the minimum.

"The fans will be right up for this. They have been waiting for three or four months to have this first home league game.

"It will be electric and we are looking to get the first three points."