Philippe Clement has been a surprise appointment as head coach of Norwich City, but the Belgian might find himself quite at home in the city.
Norfolk’s county town has long been intertwined with Belgian history, after welcoming 30 households in 1565 from the Low Countries, which included parts of Belgium and the Netherlands.
The immigrant group, known as the Elizabethan Strangers, numbered about 300 initially, but soon grew to 4,000 as more people fled religious persecution, and they helped revive Norwich’s troubled textile industry.
The immigrants brought canaries with them and a new breed, called the Norwich canary, soon appeared, leading to the bird featuring on Norwich City’s crest and Canaries becoming the club’s nickname.
During his first tenure managing an English club, Clement might notice other pointers to the past while wandering around.
Strangers Hall, a museum in the heart of Norwich, was named as such because its former owner Thomas Sotherton invited the Strangers to Norwich.
The name Stranger has also been adopted by local businesses, while wealthy merchants and weavers built traditional Dutch gable-end properties and influenced property styles, such as Norwich’s Adam and Eve pub.
Speaking to BBC Look East, people outside the Belgian Monk pub in Norwich generally welcomed Clement’s arrival.
The 51-year-old won 38 caps for Belgium and his playing career also included Premier League appearances for Coventry City during the 1998-99 season.
He then went on to manage a series of Belgian clubs before finding success at AS Monaco. He took the top job at Rangers in October 2023, but was sacked by the Glasgow giants in February this year.