Carney has no plans to return to Oz

By PADDY DAVITT

Norwich's on loan Aussie midfielder David Carney insists he is determined to make a success of his English adventure.

The former Sydney FC playmaker's immediate priority is to help Norwich's Championship survival bid but Carney admits he may have to quit parent club Sheffield United after failing to impress Blades' boss Kevin Blackwell.

Carney made the first start of his Norwich career in City's battling weekend Championship draw at Birmingham following a February loan switch from Bramall Lane.

“I'm confident I can do the business for Norwich and keep them up,” said Carney, currently back Down Under preparing for the Socceroo's World Cup qualifier against Uzbekistan next week. “When I do go back to Sheffield, I want to do my best to get back in the team. One coach there, Bryan Robson, liked me and another didn't. You can't really plan anything and when you do it never seems to work out so I think the best thing to do is jut to perform. When you do perform, people start talking about you anyway.”

Carney is adamant he has no plans to return to Australian club football despite making just 38 English league appearances since moving to Goodison as a trainee in 2002.

“I've never considered coming back,” he said. “When I left the A-League I wasn't a bad player but I've definitely improved a hell of lot since I've been overseas with my tempo and being able to do things quicker. If I came back to the A-League I wouldn't want to lose my sharpness and momentum and my physical fitness. There are a lot of good players in the A-League but going overseas playing at that high tempo - that's why I'm there and that's what I want to keep going.”

Carney admits he would love to face England in next summer's World Cup jamboree in South Africa should both countries qualify - a potential match-up that could led to a reunion with former Toffees' youth team mate Wayne Rooney.

“He's brilliant to watch but I haven't spoken to him much since the olden days,” said Carney. “He's on a different level at the moment, isn't he? I'd love to play against England and him in the World Cup if we go through, that'd be great. I think if we win next week we're basically through. It won't be easy but we should get it.”

Meanwhile, Carney's Norwich midfield ally Sammy Clingan is confident Northern Ireland can topple highly-rated Poland in Saturday's World Cup qualifying group three clash at Windsor Park.

“Before meeting up with the squad I'd have to be honest and say I don't know a great deal about their squad of players,” admitted City's talisman. “That will all change when we have team meetings and watch previous games from the World Cup qualifiers, though. I watched them during Euro 2008 and they looked a strong side packed with quality, but we fancy our chances against anyone under the lights at Windsor Park.”

Clingan's stunning long range strike against international team mate Maik Taylor earned Norwich a deserved point at St Andrews but the Belfast-born player insists his countrymen face a formidable obstacle in Poland's Celtic stopper Artur Boruc.

The Bhoys' number one has been heavily criticised for his displays north of the border this season but Clingan is adamant Nigel Worthington's squad will take nothing for granted.

“The one player I think all of our players will know a lot about is Artur Boruc,” said Clingan. “People give him a bit of stick about making the odd mistake but he is a great keeper in my eyes. It wasn't so long ago Arsenal were falling over themselves to try to sign him and most of the times I've watched him I have been impressed.

“Of course he has been blamed for mistakes in Old Firm games but that is just the life of a goalkeeper. If he makes a blunder then it usually ends up in a goal whereas the rest of us get away with it. Speaking to the boys who play in Scotland though, they say he is a great keeper and we will have to be at our best to get past him on Saturday.”