Norwich City boss Lambert savours the moment

Paul Lambert was 'milking the moment' as Norwich City's Championship campaign came to a glorious end in front of a packed Carrow Road.

The City boss stood almost motionless in front of the Barclay Stand for several minutes and soaked up the atmosphere generated by more than 26,000 noisy fans celebrating promotion to the Premier League.

The 2-2 draw with Coventry City was almost an afterthought as Lambert, his coaching staff and the City squad completed a lap of acknowledgement.

'These things you don't see very often and when you do get something like that you have got to enjoy the moment,' he said.

'When you have special moments like that you make sure you milk it.

'We've been probably spoilt in the last two years, it has happened to us in successive seasons. I am pretty sure it will live long in the memory of people. They have seen their team go up to the Premier League, best league in the world, best players, best stadia, best teams and we have earned the right to go and play against them.'

The job of building a Premier League side has already started, with Lambert determined to build a squad in the image of the ones that have taken City to successive promotions.

'First and foremost this is a really tight group, but that wasn't just made, we had to work hard to bring the right people in,' said Lambert. 'Their ability is up there, no doubt about it. You try to marry the two, Football is psychological, it's in your brain. I have worked for some unbelievable managers at the very top level and you take little bits from them and I like to think I can get in people's heads a bit.'

City skipper Grant Holt was named Player of the Season, ahead of Russell Martin and Wes Hoolahan – but Lambert had his own view of the prestigious prize.

'I'd have given it to the whole team,' he said.

The match itself wasn't even discussed in Lambert's post-match press conference – it was all about the future. And it's a future that Coventry boss Andy Thorn wants to buy into.

'When you see that atmosphere, that is what we want to aim for and if we keep doing what we are doing and we add and we tweak it here and there, then there is no reason why we can't do that because we pitted our wits against some of the better teams in the Championship in those 10 games and we have come out with a lot of credit,' he said. 'I was proud of them again today – I thought it was a real entertaining game.'