First Division strugglers Norwich City have axed their manager Mike Walker.

The club announced his departure had taken place by "mutual consent".

The Canaries, who are 16th in the Nationwide First Division, recently ended their relegation fears by recording 5-0 victories in their last two home games.

Before this they'd gone 14 matches without a win.

Norwich City vice-chairman, Roger Munby, said Walker was going now so the club had plenty of time to recruit the best replacement.

He said: "It is an open process. We have given ourselves the maximum possible time.

"We want to deliver the right football manager able to deliver our number one objective - the Premiership."

For Walker, the decision seemed to come as something of a surprise and he admitted he was "bitterly disappointed".

He said: "I think I have worked hard under trying circumstances this year, but the decision has been made.

"This is the way it has ended up, but that is football and that is something you have to accept, although whoever comes in is going to be a reasonably lucky man."

It was Walker's second spell as manager at the East Anglian club.

In 1993 he took them to third in the Premier League and the following season they beat Bayern Munich in the UEFA Cup.

Walker resigned to take over at Everton in January 1994.

Assistant manager John Faulkner will take charge of team affairs for their final game against Reading at the weekend.
 

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