Javier Garrido has already enjoyed one stab at English football, so the early onset of a crisp British winter is nothing new – and that is symptomatic of the Spaniard's success at Carrow Road.

Some may have questioned the wisdom of letting veteran left-back Adam Drury depart in the summer following his testimonial season, but arguably the biggest compliment that can be paid to Garrido is that the stalwart has not been missed.

Now 27-year-old Garrido is settled, he hopes to add a few things to the Canaries cause – especially his eye for a free-kick. But for now, simply playing his part in City's mean defensive line is keeping him happy.

'Everything is about experience,' said the likeable defender. 'When I arrived here the first time I was 21, so I was young. It was the first move in my football career. I had been playing just three years but now I'm more mature, I know what I have to do in every moment and my confidence also has been growing, so I think that's the main thing.

'To be in Italy, I know which kind of football was the English one and which was Italian – everything gives you experience.'

Garrido spent three years in Manchester after departing Real Sociedad, making 62 appearances and scoring two goals before heading to Lazio – from where the Spaniard is spending a season's loan at Norwich.

His current stay may become permanent – and no doubt a continuation of Norwich's good form and unbeaten record would help.

'We will try to keep it going – we are living a fantastic moment right now,' said Garrido. 'The atmosphere in the group, in the team, is so good.

'I think the main thing has been to work hard, be compact, be together. It's not easy to be unbeaten eight games in the Premier League. We've been playing against very good teams and even when we are not winning, like Everton and Southampton, which are not teams easy to play against, the team shows a really good spirit and we have drawn that kind of game.

'Of course we can go higher than we are now because we're showing to everyone we can compete against everybody. But we have to do the things we have to do in every game, every minute we play.

'We know where we are and what we have to do. If it doesn't keep going like this we can be in trouble. At the moment, the manager knows our strengths and the players know they have been doing well, so we have to keep doing the same things.'

Swansea will be a stern test for Norwich's defensive resolve and unbeaten run, but Garrido is confident City will compete – and expect him to have a keen eye on any dangerous free-kicks that come along.

'Maybe it's time for me,' smiled Garrido. 'My first thing is to defend well. Every time I can help with an assist or even score, it is going to be a good moment for me.

'I try to be around (for free-kicks) but in the end the other players decide to keep the ball. But I will try in the future. We have a few games now in the Christmas time, so there is going to be a moment for everyone to try to help the team in scoring goals. The moment will arrive, for sure.

'I like to take that responsibility, to show what I've got. I know myself I can do it well in that way, but we've got really good players who can take free-kicks – Robert Snodgrass has been doing great, Anthony Pilkington has a magnificent left and right foot, so there is competition also in there. We will see.'