Lambert turns to a trusted old-boy to plug that right-back hole as Martin signs in on loan

Weds 25 Nov 09

City boss Paul Lambert today turned to a very familiar face in his bid to finally resolve Norwich's on-going problems at right-back.

Familiar, that is, to him.

Posh full-back Russell Martin is unlikely to be a name that has crossed many a-lip in Norfolk of late; but Lambert knows the 23-year-old inside out from their days at Wycombe Wanderers together.

It was, said the player himself, a key reason why he agreed to this morning's month-long 'emergency' loan switch – in that he knew that Lambert and his No2, Ian Culverhouse, would be waiting at Carrow Road.

"I've known him from when he was at Wycombe and he'd done brilliant for me at that particular time," said the City chief, who has spent most of the autumn making do and mending on the right-hand side of his midfield.

One injury after another has plagued the manager's best attempts to find a settled full-back pairing; now he has turned to a player and a character he can trust; one with a League One promotion medal already on his cv following last season's success at London Road.

"He then moved onto Peterborough and went on to do even better," said Lambert, after concluding only his second piece of in-coming transfer business following the arrival of Fraser Forster on a now, season-long loan deal from Newcastle.

Martin's arrival is, initially, only of a month's duration; long enough to take him into the January transfer window when all things are possible. He is also eligible to play in the FA Cup and will, therefore, go straight into the squad for Saturday's second round clash with Carlisle United.

Character was one of Martin's strengths, said Lambert. Quietly dependable seemed to be the gist.

"The character of a footballer has to be that they're humble and modest about their own career," said the former European Cup winning midfielder – who tends not to wear such an achievement on his sleeve.

"And he's been involved in a promotion – so he knows how to win which is great."   Part 2 >>