Toon terrier Matty Pattison duly signed in at Colney this morning as new City boss Glenn Roeder continued to re-build his tattered Canary squad into something of his own image.
Or rather that of his No2 Lee Clark in the case of the South African-born, 21-year-old midfielder Pattison.
Sat in Canary yellow and green, Roeder wasn't the only one to note that it wasn't too far away from the South African gold and green – as worn by the newly-crowned rugby World Cup champions. There is, in fairness, something of a ferocious little scrum-half to his manner and bearing.
“I saw Lee play and there wouldn't be that much difference,” said Roeder, heart still set on adding at least two more loan signings before the home clash with Coventry City in eight days time.
The Clark comparison at least offers one point of reference for the Lee Hughes look-a-like.
“Always wanting the ball; never frightened to make a mistake – give me the ball again. He wouldn't know what it is to hide. And Lee was the same.
“And he can mix his range of passes up; can hit long passes or short – as he sees the game. A very, very good young footballer.”
Pattison insisted he was wholly unmoved by Norwich's current predicament – nailed squarely to the bottom of the Championship. It was the call from Roeder and the chance to team up with his ex-ressies boss Clark that got the whole ball rolling.
That and the fact that under new boss Sam Allardyce he would find himself playing second fiddle to the likes of Joey Barton.
“I just wanted to come and play some football, so it was easy for me – an easy choice,” said the player himself, his South Africa roots still very evident in his voice. He wasn't, he insisted, just a one-trick pony. It wasn't all southern hemisphere aggression.
“I like to pass the ball; pass and move as well,” he said, swiftly settling into his new surroundings. “I haven't seen much of the place – I've just been in the hotel mainly – but the training ground is lovely. It's just as good as Newcastle's.
“And the lads are good – it's a good place to be.”
For Roeder, Pattison's dual background made him ideally suited for the street fights to come. Blackpool (a), for instance.
“I know Newcastle is a rough, tough place to grow up. South Africa as we know might be even tougher. He's certainly got an edge to him,” said the City boss.
Asked a simple question initially as to what he saw in his second loan signing – Martin 'Tiny' Taylor being the first – Roeder's response was equally simple.
“Because he's a very good player,” said the Canary chief. “And we need some very good players. And there'll be more.”
The South African-born honoury Geordie – both Pattison's parents are from Tyneside – might not have featured under Allardyce, but his earlier taste of the high life under his ex-boss Roeder was enough to persuade both parties that his future may now lie in Norfolk.
Roeder certainly wasn't ruling out the prospect of making this week's initial loan move permanent come the January transfer window – if all went well.
“He's got enough first team experience now in the Premiership to be a young, confident player and the situation that we're in won't phase him at all.
“He's certainly never been a player that plays with nerves or worries about things,” said his ex-St James' boss, who cited a game against Chelsea in the player's defence.
“He got on in a game against Chelsea and played the whole of the second-half against Ballack – and Ballack knew that he had been in a game. So our current situation won't bother him at all,” added Roeder, with Chelsea finally squeezing home 1-0 at Stamford Bridge in December, 2006.
“He'll go out and play his football without worrying about where we are in the table. He loves playing football and he also loves winning – which is obviously what we need to do.”
Further evidence of the young man's character came in the very early days when Roeder was Academy boss at United. At 17-years-old he ruptured the same cruciate knee ligament twice and was out of the game for 15 months – something that would test the resiliance of any teenage footballer.
Roeder can still remember Pattison's first game back.
“I was warned that when we put him back into action to tell him every day: 'Go easy, go easy…'
“But he can only play one way – and that's flat out. And that's how I found him to be. We just had to pull back on the reins a few times,” said Roeder, about to relaunch the young man's stalled career for a second time.
The first 'relaunch' after that injury heartache was quite some occasion.
“We put him on in an Under-18 Premiership game up at Newcastle at the training ground – with 20 minutes to go. It was one of those sort of things.
“And if my memory serves right, the first touch he realy had he played a one-two with someone else in midfield; found himself on the edge of the box; played another one-two with a striker; found himself on the penalty spot withthe keeper to beat and just slotted it.
“It was quite a nice entry back into football after he'd been out for 15 months and having worked so hard – I think his mum burst into tears as she was standing by the goal.”
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