Timm Klose on retirement, City connection and Ipswich header

Klose arrived at Carrow Road as a big-money, exciting January 2016 addition to help add fuel to an eventually unsuccessful Premier League survival mission - he left a hero, feeling he had found home and an extended family in Norfolk. 

The journey contained bad injuries, losses of form and, at points, unhappiness but Klose had the determination and personality to persevere in Norfolk when many would have pushed against the exit door.

Now 36, the defender has decided this is the moment to call time on a hugely successful career that saw him play in the Premier League, Bundesliga, Europa League, Champions League and represent his country on 17 occasions. 

He played more games - 128 - for Norwich than any other club and told the Pink Un why now was the right time to formally hang up his boots, having extended his time as a player in the summer. 

"I made that decision already in the summer, so I wanted to stop then. Then, FC Basel came to me and asked me if I could do another six months just to help the young players develop and stabilise the team to make sure they are in a good position so that we can force them a bit more.

"If a club like Basel comes up to me, it was not a difficult decision," Klose said. 

"I said to myself that I was going to help for another six months, and now that we're actually quite solid and good in the table, I thought it was the perfect time to announce my retirement and let the young players play the game." 

Klose played on some of the biggest stages in an 18-year career and retires with pride at his achievements, which include an epic Championship title win with the Canaries in 2018/19. 

"When I started the whole journey or adventure, I never thought that it was going to be that successful," he said. 

"Looking back, I think I played in the best two leagues in the world which makes me very proud and playing in the Champions League and Europa League, but also the Championship - don't underestimate the quality of the Championship.

Timm Klose reflects on his spell at Norwich City with pride. (Image: Paul Chesterton)

"I loved playing there because there were so many games and not too many training sessions. I had ups and downs, but even the downs made me better as a person and developed myself.

"I appreciate the whole journey, and you don't like the times where it wasn't that great, but looking back, those times were the best because they made me stronger." 

Klose's reflections on Norwich and the up-and-down nature of his spell at the club are wholly positive, with hindsight as an added ingredient.  

Beyond any on-pitch achievements and memories, the towering Swiss defender's first topic of conversation was the relationship he forged with supporters and the value he places on the connection. 

"It was almost six years that I stayed at Norwich. I always tried to do my best for the club on and off the pitch.

"That is why I think I have such a connection with the fans and the club because I thought it was important to combine those two things to make sure that we have a strong base wherever you go; the fans are behind the team, and the team will do anything for the fans.

"I tried to give that on my own, but also to new players who came from Germany or somewhere else to help integrate them fast," he reflected. "I tried to tell them what Norwich was all about and what it meant to play for those colours.

"I wasn't able to perform at my best all the time, but what I asked from myself was to give 100pc every game because, even if I didn't play well, then at least I gave everything.

"From day one, the journey at Norwich was special because I had such a great connection with everyone there, from the staff members to the groundskeepers, at the stadium with the people, with the fans, and after every game, I tried to make one round when I applauded everyone.

"I felt at home, I felt comfortable and I was playing my best football. It's great to look back on that time." 

Timm Klose's famous header against Ipswich is an often re-watched memory for supporters. (Image: Paul Chesterton/Focus Images Ltd) For many Norwich supporters, Klose's standout moment in yellow and green came as a derby day hero, prolonging the 15-year unbeaten record when he met Grant Hanley's cross in the 95th minute to rescue a point against Ipswich in 2018. 

It is a moment that, when mentioned, instantly puts a smile on Klose's face. 

"That's a great memory. That is something that sticks with the fans as well," he recalls. "I received a lot of messages since retiring, and I would say that 60pc or even more congratulated me and said, 'I always will remember the game against Ipswich'.

"It's great to be remembered for the positive things that you did for the club, and that was always my goal.

"The moment, the goal, the situation and the whole season wasn't too great, but coming back in a game like this and scoring an equaliser in the 95th minute with the whole fanbase on our back was great.

"The Ipswich fans were already celebrating the win, so to destroy this [was amazing]. I received the [Radio Suffolk] radio commentary as well, which is fantastic. Those memories stick with you forever." 

It was an unlikely combination to source the goal, with Klose meeting Hanley's cross with City having thrown bodies forward in pursuit of an equaliser. The defender was quick to give a nod to the Canaries' club captain for his role. 

"I pushed him to do this," he joked. "My flick-on was so far away that I screamed to Hanley to get there because he was actually the fastest player we had in the team so I knew he was going to get there." 

When a professional player officially calls time on their career, the inevitable question is 'what's next?'. 

Klose has now turned his attentions to what's next after football. (Image: Paul Chesterton/Focus Images Ltd) For Klose, that has been a question he's been preparing to answer since the final stages of his spell at Carrow Road in 2021, but he isn't limited exclusively to football, with an extensive business portfolio behind him. 

"I decided a long time ago. When I was at Norwich, I studied sports management on the side, when I was at Bristol I started my coaching badges. I'm starting in 2025 the Uefa Pro Licence with the FA, so I will be in the UK quite a bit," he said. 

"On the other hand, I'm doing a defensive coordinator and talent manager role at Basel, which is great because I can help the young players come through the ranks.

"On the side, I have other businesses. I have a biotech company, which is just at the start, and I have some other stuff with my parents. I have a business club with my mum and some real estate with my dad, but not too much because I am a family man."