![\"Efan](\"http:\/\/u.goal.com\/134300\/134352_news.jpg\")
<\/p>\n<\/div>\nEfan Ekoku<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n EXCLUSIVE<\/strong> Former Norwich City<\/a> striker Efan Ekoku feels that Canaries forward Grant Holt<\/a> has the quality to succeed in the Premier League<\/a> after helping his side secure promotion with 21 league goals last term.<\/span><\/p>\n Holt has scored an average of more than a goal every other game since he moved to Carrow Road in 2009, finding the back of the net 45 times in 84 games, and Ekoku – who played for Norwich in the top-flight during the 1993-94 season – believes the 30-year-old could have a big impact in the league next term as his side look set to face a battle to stay in the division.<\/span><\/p>\n When asked whether the Canaries’ talisman can keep up his fine form from last season and help fire his side to safety, Ekoku told Goal.com<\/strong>: “It\u2019s certainly possible because he\u2019s a goalscorer.<\/span><\/p>\n “He did well in the last campaign and he\u2019s a good all-round player; strong with his back to goal, he scores a variety of goals and he\u2019s a big, strong, powerful guy so he could do well if he gets the service.”<\/span><\/p>\n Despite praising the former Nottingham Forest man, Ekoku did concede that he will face a tough time in getting the better of Premier League defenders.<\/span><\/p>\n He said: “It\u2019s not going to be easy because he\u2019s going to be up against defenders that are that little bit quicker and stronger so there\u2019s that little bit of frustration sometimes when you know you\u2019re playing well but you\u2019re still not quite able to carve out opportunities.<\/span><\/p>\n “Strikers coming up from the lower leagues are reliant on their team-mates even more, so it\u2019s even more important to have a good supply line which I\u2019m sure Norwich manager\u00a0 Paul Lambert will be working on.<\/span><\/p>\n “If you get chances in the first couple of games then you just have to take them, it gives you that instant confidence, get yourself rolling and hopefully drag your team-mates along with you.”<\/span><\/p>\n Lambert’s men are odds-on favourites to return to the Championship next season and Ekoku is realistic about his former club’s chances of avoiding the trap door.<\/span><\/p>\n He said: “It\u2019s going to be a tough one, they\u2019ve been out of the top flight for a long time now.<\/span><\/p>\n “I wouldn\u2019t say a lot has changed since Norwich were last in the Premier League in 2005 but the clubs that they were close to then competitively such as Blackburn and Bolton have been able to grow a lot stronger and have been fixtures in that time.<\/span><\/p>\n “A new powerbase has broadened and strengthened in the league so you\u2019re playing catch up with them, never mind the big teams.<\/span><\/p>\n “It\u2019ll be a big challenge on and off the field and a lot of good work will need to be done between now and pre-season, and some more good players will need to be brought in, but the fans and the players will look forward to it and it\u2019s exciting times at the club at the moment.”<\/span><\/p>\n Despite admitting that the side from East Anglia face a tough task, the 44-year-old believes that last season’s Championship winners, QPR, are under more pressure to succeed due to the spending power of those in charge at Loftus Road.<\/span><\/p>\n “I think there\u2019s a lot less pressure on Swansea and Norwich to perform compared to QPR who have lots of money at their disposal,” said Ekoku. “Neil Warnock\u2019s got a tough job to not only please the fans but more importantly to please the owners.<\/span><\/p>\n “They\u2019ve been a little trigger happy in the last couple of seasons and he has lost an ally in Amit Bhatia former QPR vice-chairman so his position has been weakened in the last few weeks.<\/span><\/p>\n “He Warnock has got a few players who haven\u2019t quite made the grade at Premier League level so he\u2019s got a big job on in bringing some quality players who can perform solidly.<\/span><\/p>\n “That won\u2019t be easy because people know QPR have got lots of money and you don\u2019t want any mercenary figures who are just coming for a big wage.<\/span><\/p>\n “Warnock apparently wants to bring in seven or eight players to rotate his squad but he\u2019s got to be wary not to disrupt the team spirit within the squad by doing that.”<\/span><\/p>\n The former forward, who also played at Wimbledon and Swiss side Grasshoppers, feels that Swansea are also likely to struggle, but insisted that the Welsh side would match the achievements of the mega-rich R’s.<\/span><\/p>\n He said: “I feel Swansea, similarly to Norwich, will look to keep most of their money in their pocket and wait to see how they\u2019re going in January but unfortunately sometimes you\u2019re so far behind at that point that you can\u2019t bring in the players to make a difference because they can see that you\u2019re going down to the Championship again.<\/span><\/p>\n “It\u2019s going to be difficult for all of the promoted sides to win lots of games but I think that Swansea and Norwich will at least do as well as QPR.”<\/span><\/p>\n The Barclays Premier League reaches over 500 million homes in over 200 countries worldwide. Title sponsor Barclays is one of the largest banks in the world with operations in over 50 countries, providing personal,\u00a0corporate, investment banking and wealth management services. For further information go to\u00a0<\/strong>www.barclays.com<\/strong><\/a><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n
By Jonathan Birchall<\/span><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/u.goal.com\/130500\/130592hp2.jpg\")
Here to stay? |<\/strong> Norwich impressed in promotion but face a fight in the top-flight<\/span><\/p>\n