Gary O'Neil believes a gulf in quality does not exist between most teams in the Premier League and the Championship.

At least one newly promoted club in all but two of the 23 seasons since the Football League breakaway was formed have been relegated. Yet many like Leicester – who stayed up last term – and now established top-flight outfits Swansea and Stoke have proved the gap is certainly not unbridgeable.

And O'Neil feels Norwich City have a good chance of handling their own step up in class next term.

The 32-year-old said: 'Championship clubs and players and managers sometimes get the rough end of the stick.

'Yes, there is a big difference between the top teams in the Premier League and those that are in the Championship but the bottom 10 in the Premier League aren't much better than the likes of us and Watford (who have got promoted).

'The gaffer (Alex Neil) will be absolutely fine in the Premier League and so will the players. I'm sure the club will invest in a few players as well but this squad we've got already won't be too far off.'

The Canaries and Watford have flittered between the second tier and the promised land on a number of occasions since the Premier League was launched in 1992. Bournemouth are readying themselves for their first experience of playing alongside the likes of heavyweights Manchester United and Liverpool. The same goes for City's boss Neil who is also preparing for his first crack at the big time following his hugely successful start to life at the Carrow Road helm.

'I've been very impressed,' added O'Neil about the former Hamilton Academical chief who only arrived in the English game in January after replacing Neil Adams as the Canaries' manager.

'He's been very good. Tactically, his information on the opposition, he's right up there with the best I've worked with. I think he belongs in the Premier League.'

Canaries winger Nathan Redmond has been named in the final 23-man England Under-21 squad for this summer's European Championships.