Neil Adams has no fears as to whether Josh Murphy can handle a leading role in Norwich City's Championship promotion push.

The 19-year-old winger pulled out of England Under-20 duty to rest a heel injury after a series of cameos in City's rise to the top of the table over recent weeks.

Murphy is yet to make a league start for the Canaries since bursting onto the Premier League scene last season, but Adams is confident the FA Youth Cup winner is ready to start.

'He is getting better all the time. How close is he to a start? Well, he is part of the squad now,' said Adams. 'He is not a youngster anymore in the sense of someone who is brought in for a taste of it.

'He has played his way in and I wouldn't hesitate to use him in any way. You see what he can do. He goes past players for fun. It is just picking out that final ball now, whether it needs a cut-back or to stand one up at the far post, because he can beat players easily with his pace and his trickery.'

Adams expects to reap the benefits from the way Murphy and his twin Jacob have been shielded from growing hype since progressing through the club's academy ranks.

'We've managed both Josh and his brother really well. The easy thing is he has a good head on his shoulders,' said Adams. 'He has matured and certainly in terms of his physique and his development then he can play in the first team.

'There is no risk of letting things go to his head or getting above his station because we try to keep everything low key. When you look at it both him and his brother were attracting attention for the past 18 months with the FA Youth Cup win, some of those matches were televised, and I'm sure most people had probably never been heard of either. We're pleased with how they have been managed and how they have coped.'