Brad Hills will never forget his Norwich City Championship debut, but Johannes Hoff Thorup must now weigh up whether to let him out on loan in January.

The 20-year-old academy central defender, from a City supporting family, made a late substitute appearance in the midweek 6-1 mauling of Plymouth after a spell on the sidelines with a back complaint.

Hills blossomed on loan in League Two at Accrington last season, but Thorup is keeping his options open.

“It was a big night for him, of course, a local boy, so it means a lot for him to be around the first team,” said the City chief. “For him, we built it up nice and easy and good things take time, but just to have a feel for what it is, and what it is to play in the Championship and to get out there and be a part of the team, I think it meant a lot to him.

“It is a tricky question for us (in terms of loans), and something we actually often discuss what is the right decision and solution? I think it's very individual, and it comes down to the player.

"Whether it's too difficult not to be around the team as much as you want, and not to play every Saturday as every player wants to do, or can some players see, ‘Okay, it benefits me if I just stay here and then learn how we do things, and then hopefully, in the future, I can be around the team’.

"Definitely we will sit down with him, I think, middle of December, maybe end of December, and then find the best solution.”

Thorup revealed at Colney on Thursday he wants Hills to stay in the building for the rest of the season.

“I will not hide the fact I actually prefer that he stays, because the way that we play is different to many other clubs and the level of training out here means he is dealing with some of the best strikers in the league,” he said.

“Ante (Crnac) is becoming a good player for us, when Josh (Sargent) is back, when Borja (Sainz) is in there, and all these other guys up front, he's training with them every day and against them every day, which is just also a part of the development as a player.

“So it's not only about a game on the Saturday. That's at least not how I see it. I know it's important, but it's not everything. So a decision and conversation we need to have at some point.”