City boss Bryan Gunn might still be short of a fox in the box, but he has at least now got a 'boss in the box' in the shape of Greek-Australian keeper Michael Theoklitos.
The 28-year-old former Melbourne Victory star became the City manager's fourth permanent signing of the summer this lunch-time and was duly handed the No1 shirt in succession to the departed David Marshall.
As much as Theoklitos might be an ideal height at six-foot one-inches tall and might come to Europe on the back of two, straight A-League title successes with Victory, it was the character question as much as anything that tipped the deal in his favour.
Even as late as last night, senior sources at the club suggested that Theoklitos was just one of three options on the table; one of whom had 'Premiership experience' – a claim that pointed to Nick Weaver's name being firmly in the frame.
In the end, however, Gunn went with Theoklitos. He had, after all, seen him at first hand during a trial spell at Colney in March; it was far from being solely down to the advice of City's reserve team boss Ian Crook whose lengthy spell Down Under makes him well-versed in Theoklitos' qualities.
“Michael came in and viewed the club in March,” Gunn told this afternoon's Carrow Road Press conference.
“And I'm delighted that we've managed to secure his signature. There were a number of clubs across Europe that were after that, but I'm delighted to introduce him to Norfolk today.”
The City chief will let his new arrival pause for breath for a few days after his arrival from the other side of the world; he will not, it appears, be involved in either Friday night's trip to Fakenham Town or Saturday's visit to Dartford. The two England prospects Jed Steer and Declan Rudd will cover City's pre-season openers.
But once Norwich head north for the short, pre-season tour to Scotland, so Theoklitos will move onto centre stage.
“He has got the No1 jersey,” Gunn confirmed.
“Obviously it was a slot that was available after David Marshall's departure to Cardiff City and as I said in the Press recently, this was a position that I wanted to take my time over.
“To make sure that I got the right man in for the opportunity to be Norwich City's No1 next season – and Michael's clearly going to be working very hard between now and August 8 to prove that he is worthy of the No1 jersey.”
As for his strengths as a keeper, it was the whole character question again – as in the character that was so lacking at The Valley.
“It's the personality that comes with Michael – his charisma,” said the Canary chief. Charisma, in fairness, was never one of Marshall's strongest points.
“I know that the players were very impressed with him when he came in in March – and his qualities as a goalkeeper are undoubted as well.
“But he's someone who is a leader. And the fact that Michael's club Melbourne Victory have won their league on the last two occasions means that he's been part of that winning mentality that we've looked for throughout the summer,” added Gunn, Exeter City's players player of the season Matt Gill being part of that thinking on the back of those back-to-back promotions with the St James' Park club.
And then there's the vocality; making himself heard; making his presence felt; making that penalty area his own.
“He's a boss in the box,” said Gunn. “And he's a tough cookie.
“So we're hopeful that in working with [goalkeeping coach] Paul Crichton and the other defenders, we're going to make it a solid backbone to our team. And we look forward to seeing some Man of the Match performances from Michael, but not too many…
“I think he's been used to those accolades in Australia, but hopefully we'll be doing our business at the other end of the pitch and it'll be more the strikers and the midfielders getting those awards this season.
“But I'm sure he'll have a big part to play ihn any success that we achieve this season.”
And, no, the move wasn't wholly down to Crook's many connections Down Under. Gunn remains very much his own man on the transfer front; likewise, given the fact that it was one of his own that he was signing position-wise, so the Canary chief made his own decision on Theoklitos' ticket to the European stage.
“Ian knows and has obviously seen Michael at very close hand,” said the City chief. “But I must stress that this was a decision that I felt necessary for myself to make.
“He [Ian] has seen him at very close quarters and recommendations were high from him; Paul Crichton obviously worked very closely with him when he came into Norwich to work with us [in March] and from what I saw – and what has come across from many good sources in the game – he's a goalkeeper that will hopefully follow on in the good tradition of Norwich City goalkeepers.”
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