City boss Glenn Roeder this afternoon followed in the foot-steps of his predecessor Peter Grant in handing Dutch Under-21 striker Maceo Rigters a chance to shine in a Canary shirt.
Monday's return to sender of Reading winger James Henry may, in part, have reflected the 18-year-old's inability to oust Lee Croft from the manager's thinking.
It also, however, freed the City manager's hand up in terms of bringing in another fresh face in on-loan – leaving just one player in the stands instead of the two as that five-player loan limit kept restricting Roeder's thinking.
And, lo and behold, 48-hours later and the Dutch newspaper, the Algemeen Dagblad, was revealing to the world that the goal-shy Canaries had stepped ahead of a clutch of their Championship rivals to bag last summer's star turn at the European Under-21 Championships. Ipswich, potentially, included.
A three o'clock Press conference at Carrow Road duly revealed all as Roeder held to his promise of bolting on additional fire-power as his rebuilt Norwich side threaten to sink back up to their necks in the relegation mire. He will, you figure, feature in Saturday's home clash with Colchester United – a game for which the term six-point was made.
“I think that this is a good and new opportunity for him to come to us with seven games to go and show everybody what he's capable of doing – scoring goals – which have been lacking this season,” Roeder told the club's official website as he unveiled the 24-year-old striker.
It is, of course, not the first time Norwich have chased the Dutch Under-21 international's signature. Grant was firmly on his tail last summer – only for his interest to switch at the eleventh hour to David Strihavka.
In came Blackburn Rovers with their ?400,000 cheque in one hand and Premiership football in the other and the Canaries duly went into battle with Strihavka as their main man. The rest, of course, is history.
Not that Rigters' move to Ewood Park proved all sweetness and light. He has yet to start a Premiership game for Mark Hughes; his last start came in the FA Cup third round home defeat by Coventry City in January – a 4-1 reverse that saw Rigters replaced on the hour-mark.
Come the end of the month and with the transfer window about to shut, so his agent was all up for a move; at the time, however, Hughes peeked inside his treatment room and with Roque Santa Cruz, Matt Derbyshire and Jason Roberts all nursing knocks the Rovers chief played hard to get.
Six weeks later and it appears that the situation has eased; that Rigters can come out to play as Roeder pulls in a big favour from another one of his Premiership pals.
There is, however, no immediate sense that Hughes does not see a Rovers future for his ?400,000 summer capture. He is quick – and that's one quality that no-one gives away lightly. Not pace.
“Blackburn still feel Maceo will add value to the squad in the future,” said Rigters' Mr Ten Per Cent, talking to the Blackurn Evening Telegraph in January.
“That's why they do not intend to sell him. And he will only join a club if the gut feelings are right.”
Speaking last summer and Rigters – fresh from winning the Golden Boot in those European Under-21 Championships and all under Roeder's admiring gaze – clearly felt that Rovers was his dream destination after leaving Breda. Celtic were the third club on his heels, but neither the SPL or the Championship held the same allure as the Premiership.
“It's like a dream for me to play at this club,” said Rigters, as he signed on the dotted line last summer.
“It's a big club and I'm very happy. It's fantastic for me to get a chance to play,” he added. “Everybody back in Holland watches the Premiership, it's the best league in the world I think.
“I like everything about the club. I was here with my dad and my agent and we made the decision to stay because we had a good feeling. I like the club and I like the way they play. I know they've got good players and the trainer is good. It's a big club and this competition is good for me to see if I can make it.
“It's a great chance for me as a young player to come to England and play in the Premiership.”
Thus far, and he hasn't quite made it. Hughes' jury could still be out as he starts to plot his own summer moves in the transfer market.
Rigters ends the season with a bang in Norfolk and he could return to Rovers' pre-season training ground flying. He could also return having saved Norwich's Championship bacon – should he bag the couple of goals City need to earn the points they need to survive.
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