Hamilton player/manager Alex Neil believes his early success at New Douglas Park is proof he should not be afraid of taking the chance to manage Norwich.

Hamilton vice-chairman Ronnie MacDonald has agreed a compensation deal with Norwich and the 33-year-old will hold further talks with the Sky Bet Championship side on Friday after travelling to Norfolk earlier in the week.

Neil stressed his exit was not finalised but he had a meeting with his players earlier in the day that was very much a farewell.

The former Barnsley player has been a manager for less than two years but he will go down as one of the Accies greats after leading them into the top flight in his first full season with a play-off comeback against Hibernian.

His team have since exceeded all expectations by leading the Scottish Premiership for a spell, winning at Celtic Park, and hitting nine goals without reply in two Lanarkshire derbies against Motherwell. They now sit third, four points off the top.

And Neil believes he is ready for the challenge of trying to secure a return to the Barclays Premier League for Norwich, who sit one place outside the play-off places but saw manager Neil Adams quit following their weekend FA Cup defeat by Preston.

Neil said: "When I got the job here I was only 31 and still focused on playing. You think to yourself: 'Am I ready to take it?' But it's like anything else, when something crops up that you can't refuse...

"Ronnie offered me the job here and I couldn't refuse it, I had to take it on, and it ended up going really well.

"I have learned a hell of a lot over the last two years at two different levels, which is good. I have learned about the play-offs as well.

"It's one of those situations that I am just excited, thrilled and looking forward to a challenge, if things get sorted. But I have to make clear that it's not sorted.

"Tomorrow will really be the day I expect it to be finalised or not, and we will pretty much know where we all stand."

Neil's players looked downbeat after their manager and team-mate updated them on the situation in a meeting at noon on Thursday. And the manager admitted it will be hard to leave New Douglas Park.

"It's never going to be easy for me to leave Hamilton if that ends up being the case," he said. "I've been here for 10 years.

"I've had massive links with the club for a long, long time and I've spent the best years of my life here, as a player, as a manager, and working closely with Ronnie and (chairman) Les (Gray), and as captain for eight years.

"So it's going to be extremely difficult if I do end up moving on."

MacDonald admitted he had mixed emotions when he took the call from Norwich asking for permission to speak to a player he has known for more than 15 years.

"In the transfer window, when you get a call and you don't recognise the number, the pound notes always go round your eyes and you think 'here we go'," MacDonald said.

"But it was actually for Alex. I was disappointed but at the same time delighted that someone recognised the talent he has got.

"He has an absolutely fantastic record here and I'm sure he will be a fantastic manager for Norwich."

Accies have sold players such as James McArthur and James McCarthy in recent years and the imminent departure of their manager is a source of pride.

"We want everyone to improve themselves," said MacDonald, who declared it too early to think about a successor.

"I say to the boys, we give you the chance and when you get to the first team it's up to you. If you're going to get a move to a big club, you will get that through your own efforts, but we will hopefully give you the platform.

"If we do what we do and if we finish bottom of the Third Division, that's where we will finish. But this season under Alex has gone really well.

"There will be times it won't go well, we know that, but we will give our kids the chance."