Norwich City’s incoming signing Jose Cordoba is tailor made for the Championship, for former Charlton and Birmingham boss and now Montserrat coach Lee Bowyer.

Cordoba played the full 90 minutes in Panama’s latest World Cup qualifying 3-1 win over Bowyer’s Montserrat in the early hours of Sunday morning.

The 23-year-old left-sided centre back’s move from Levski Sofia for an undisclosed fee – reported in the Bulgarian media as €3.5m – will be rubber stamped when the transfer window opens later this week.

But ahead of joining up with Johannes Hoff Thorup’s squad for pre-season Cordoba faces a busy summer of World Cup qualifiers, and a high profile Copa America appearance.

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Bowyer played and managed in the second tier, before being appointed Montserrat boss last September, but the ex-England international does have a warning for the Norwich new boy.

“The only thing that might be difficult when it comes to playing in England, compared to other countries, is you play lots of games,” he said, interviewed the Deportes RPC football portal. “Saturday, Tuesday, Saturday, Tuesday. There is no break. He might find that a little bit difficult in the beginning.

“I heard he had gone to Norwich. A left footed defender. Quick, strong, powerful in the air but he can also play as well. I think the Championship will suit him. The physicality aspect, because he is a physical player, he will find that okay.

"Panama have a good team. They have pace, they have power, they can all play. They can receive the ball, pass the ball.

“I managed in that league for Charlton and Birmingham and did well. But this was a new challenge for me, to come and experience international football, against top international coaches and most importantly to help improve the standard of football in Montserrat. From September when I started we have improved lots.

"We lost our first game to the Dominican Republic but a couple of months later, with a lot of hard work, we beat them. With the players I have, can I improve them and make them better?”

Cordoba’s Panama have a friendly this weekend against Paraguay, ahead of their Copa America campaign which starts on June 24, and games against Uruguay, USA and Bolivia.

The defender’s international boss, Thomas Christiansen, insists his squad must improve after recent World Cup qualifying wins over Guyana and Bowyer’s Montserrat.

“For the matches in the Copa America, a lot has to change,” he said. “If we are at this level, we are going to suffer a lot.

“We have obtained three points, which is the important thing. We must give credit to the opponent who played a serious game, they did not make things easy for us. What we were looking for was a little more effectiveness, which we lacked a lot.

"The issue of attitude improved in this game. The game didn't go the way we wanted, but the attitude improved and it's important.”