Norwich City have signed Colchester United midfielder David Fox on a two-year deal for an undisclosed fee.The 26-year-old was originally signed by Canaries' boss Paul Lambert for the Us last summer, on a Bosman transfer from Ian Holloway's Blackpool.

Norwich City have signed Colchester United midfielder David Fox on a two-year deal for an undisclosed fee.

The 26-year-old was originally signed by Canaries' boss Paul Lambert for the Us last summer, on a Bosman transfer from Ian Holloway's Blackpool.

Fox made his debut for the Essex club in City's record home 7-1 opening day defeat last August, scoring goal number four with a superb 25-yard free-kick.

“I signed him at Colchester last year and he had a brilliant start to the season,” said Lambert. “He's someone who will hopefully benefit the team with his wide range of passing and I'm delighted to be bringing him to Carrow Road.”

Fox made 20 appearances and scored three goals for the Us having started his career at Old Trafford, where he was a trainee and captained Manchester United's reserve side before being loaned briefly to Shrewsbury, then Royal Antwerp in 2004.

He then made the move to Bloomfield Road in January 2006 where he featured 108 times in all competitions, scoring seven goals in his three-and-a-half years with the club - which included a League One play-off final, where the Seasiders - then including City midfielder Wes Hoolahan - beat Yeovil 2-0 to secure their place in the Championship for the first time in 29 years.

The Stoke-born player is known for his passing skills, which the Norwich boss hopes will help the Canaries in their step up to the Championship next season.

At today's press conference at Carrow Road Fox commented: "It's a fantastic club playing in a really strong league next season. Hopefully I can play my part in us doing well, I mean it's a massive set-up. I had a look round the training ground and it's a really good club.

"Everyone wants to play as high a standard of football as possible and I'm no different to that. Some of the clubs and the stadiums we'll be playing in should be all set up for some really good games.

"Hopefully we'll hit the ground running next season and it's not going to be an easy thing, but I'll try and hopefully get my way into the team. I just try and get the ball down and pass it basically. It's pretty simple, I don't try and complicate things, it's about getting the ball off one person and giving it to someone else to hopefully try and score goals. Helping to set up chances, that's what I'm all about hopefully."

"I can't come here and just expect to walk into the side. I don't think anyone can, especially at a team that's just got promoted. It's going to be a massive challenge for me personally to get into the team and I'll be like everyone else; I'll be trying really hard to impress in pre-season and hopefully start the first game of the season. But I'm under no illusions that it's going to be a very difficult task.

"I'm sure all the lads will be buzzing. Obviously the ones that have been here last year have obviously just won the championship so it's not going to be an easy thing to get into the team by any means. I'm sure they are a tight-knit group with what they've been through last season so hopefully I'll get to know the boys better and then we'll take it from there.

"I know Wes Hoolahan from my time at Blackpool - he was there for a couple of seasons and he was brilliant, he really was. He's carried it on here to be fair on a bigger stage, so I look forward to seeing him again and hopefully I'll get to play with him again because he's a terrific player."

U's Chairman Robbie Cowling commented on the deal, saying; "David came to us and explained that he and his family had never really settled in the area so we agreed that if another club came in for him, we would consider letting him go."

"We got him on a free contract twelve months ago and now Norwich have offered a fee for him. It is not productive to have unhappy players here at Colchester United and it was in ours and David's best interests that he moved on."