The hunger for game-time is clear to see in the eyes of new Norwich City loan signing Patrick Bamford.

After a disappointing first half of the season with Crystal Palace the 22-year-old striker decided to return to parent club Chelsea – before jumping at the chance to join the Canaries for the rest of the campaign.

Key to that thought process was the England Under-21 international knowing just how highly City manager Alex Neil rated his talents.

'I knew from the start of the season that the manager had been keen for me to play for Norwich,' Bamford explained.

'Unfortunately I didn't come at the start of the season but once I knew he was still interested, that was the main factor, and obviously I've seen Norwich play a fair bit over the last year so I knew how they played and I thought I'd fit in quite well.'

After boosting his profile hugely while with Middlesbrough last season, scoring 17 Championship goals, Bamford's signing appeared to be something of a coup for Palace.

Just nine appearances followed though – three of them in the Capital One Cup and the other six as a substitute in the Premier League – as the former Nottingham Forest trainee failed to find the back of the next for the Eagles.

Having signed on Saturday, Bamford does not know whether tonight's home clash with Tottenham will come too soon for him, but he is keen to get involved quickly.

'I've just got to forget the past now and forget the start to the season that I had and hopefully this second half will be a lot better for me and will hopefully be a good second half of the season for Norwich,' he continued. 'I've seen in training what attacking threat there is in the team and if anything it excites me and I'm looking forward to it.

'Hopefully I'll be involved. I don't know, it's early stages, only having trained once, but it's always nice to get involved straight away.'

The Chelsea youngster admits he didn't expect to be playing for Norwich this season, after suffering the pain of Wembley defeat at the hands of the Canaries in the Championship play-off final.

'If you had asked me that question this time last year, would I be playing for Norwich at this time, I think I probably would have thought no and said no chance,' Bamford added, talking to Norwich City TV.

'But it's funny how things change in football and it's funny that the team I played for last year lost to Norwich in the play-off final. So it is a weird one but that's football.'