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Philippe Clement is backing his Norwich City players to embrace the challenge of taking on Manchester City and aims to use the occasion as a valuable step in their development.
The Canaries travel to the Etihad Stadium tonight for a Carabao Cup third-round clash against the 11-time Premier League champions and competition's holders, with many of Clement's squad preparing for one of the biggest nights of their careers.
That eagerness and youthful exuberance among his young players is something the City boss has identified in training, but he knows they'll face a very different test than those they encounter in the Championship as they travel north to face one of the world's best.
Clement has previous experience of facing Europe's elite and knows the scale of the task awaiting a Norwich squad containing plenty of players stepping onto this stage for the first time.
"Yeah, excitement. But I see positivity, excitement and hunger today and yesterday, a lot in the training. It's now about doing it on the pitch and in those circumstances. For some of them, it will be the first time.
"I remember the first time when I played with Brugge in Barcelona. I remember the pitch looked really big, really big, and every time you felt like one, two or three steps too late. We didn't get the result that night, but it was an experience.
"The next time you stepped on that stage, you were better because of that experience," he said at his press conference.
"A lot of them don't have that experience yet, but I hope they learn fast and make it an exciting, really good evening where they show the best version of themselves. Not individually, but as a team.
"Then enjoy that occasion and show the fight that I see here every day in training. I want to see that on the pitch tomorrow as well."
Norwich City faced Premier League opposition in Leeds earlier this year - but Philippe Clement doesn't believe there are lessons to be had.
(Image: Matt Wilkinson/Focus Images Ltd)
Clement hopes Norwich can use the occasion to accelerate their growth, with several of his squad still adapting to life at the highest level.
City faced Premier League side Leeds in the FA Cup earlier this year and, despite a positive second-half showing, were handed a tough lesson in a 3-0 loss at Elland Road. The Belgian wants his players to create their own memories rather than dwell on past cup experiences.
"I don't want to refer too much to last season, because several of the boys were not here. So it's of no use to go back to the past. I also don't want the players from last season to live in last season because it starts from zero again this season," he said.
"I don't think it's good to refer too much to the past. What this group didn't have together, this group has since the summer. That's the first experience together, and I hope they can make a really good one tomorrow also."
The Belgian expects his side to spend far less time in possession tonight than they are accustomed in the Championship and believes adapting to those demands can only benefit his players in the long term.
It will be a night at the Etihad where Norwich City will need to be strong out of possession. (Image: Fred Palmer/Focus Images Ltd)
"It's a different philosophy to what we have in the league because we're a team that wants the ball and has the ball a lot. So it's going to require a different mindset and adapting to that," he said.
"It's a really good experience for the players. That's why I'm happy with the game as well, because they can have that kind of experience.
"It's going to make their backpack bigger as professionals and help them build their careers. Games like this give you experiences that can help you become a better player."
There were also positive fitness updates for Norwich following Saturday's defeat at Middlesbrough, although Clement admitted Sunday's Championship clash against Bolton, played on Sunday lunchtime at Carrow Road, will influence his selection decisions.
That means inevitable rotation and the opportunity for other players to stake a claim ahead of that and other league games moving forward.
"Nothing special to report after the Middlesbrough game, so those are positives. The squad is looking good," he said.
"We need to look really carefully at how we divide power between the two games because I expect a match tomorrow where you lose a lot of energy, especially without the ball, with all the quality on the other side.
"We have a big game on Sunday in the league as well, so we need to make smart decisions around that."
Around 2,500 Canaries supporters are expected to make the long trip to the Etihad Stadium on Thursday.
(Image: Fred Palmer/Focus Images Ltd)
Around 2,500 Norwich supporters are expected to make the journey to Manchester, and Clement hopes his players can reward their loyalty with a performance to remember.
"We have really, really good and loyal away fans," he said. "We want to give them something. We haven't done it enough on our travels yet this season, but in the moments it has happened, you feel the magic between the players and the fans.
"We want to give them a good game and I hope they can give a lot of energy to my players as well."