Norwich City must act quickly in appointing Alan Bowkett's replacement, according to an expert on football finance.

Bowkett resigned from his position as chairman on Monday, just two weeks after being re-elected at the club's AGM. The search for his successor is already under way and Rob Wilson believes the clock is ticking as City enter another crucial period in trying to maintain their Premier League status.

The sports specialist at Sheffield Hallam University said: 'It is quite important to get it done fairly quickly because the club will want to make some pretty sharp decisions in the January transfer window, be it player recruitment or player sales.

'They won't want to miss out on anything. The board of directors will normally look around themselves first and foremost to see if anyone can step up. They can advertise and look for someone outside, but that's quite difficult. I'm sure the board will have had a succession plan and there's been some really successful clubs of late, like Manchester United with Ed Woodward, who have promoted from within.'

Bowkett's reign began in 2009 during some of City's darkest days in League One. But the challenge awaiting the outgoing chief's replacement is a very different one as first-team boss Alex Neil looks to keep City in a top-flight that is overflowing with financial rewards.

'Alan Bowkett came in to help steady the ship, consolidate the club's position and build Norwich up from a bit of a yo-yo club to getting them back into the Premier League,' added Wilson.

'The club are doing ok, but it's all about growth now. Someone bringing in added business acumen can help generate more money through things like commercial deals and that's important with the philosophy of Financial Fair Player (FFP), spending what you earn.

'Increasing revenue by 20-25pc could be so important. With the new TV deal everybody is desperate to get their slice of it by staying in the Premier League.'