Norwich City have signed Celtic defender John Kennedy on loan until January.The 24-year-old, who had been had been training with Motherwell, will be reunited with former Celtic team-mates Mark Fotheringham and David Marshall.

Celtic defender John Kennedy has revealed how Norwich City's Parkhead old boys' network convinced him to make a Carrow Road loan switch.

Kennedy's initial six month deal is expected to be rubber stamped today ahead of City's prestige home friendly against Carling Cup winners Tottenham after the 24-year-old travelled south for talks with Canaries officials.

Norwich boss Glenn Roeder reportedly beat off late competition from Championship rivals Preston for the Bhoys' defender, once SPL club Motherwell pulled out of a loan deal after failing to meet Celtic's financial terms.

Kennedy is relishing the prospect of linking up with former team-mates Mark Fotheringham and David Marshall after he agreed to become Roeder's eighth new recruit of a whirlwind close season.

“I'm looking forward to the challenge of being at Norwich and lining up with a couple of familiar faces in David Marshall and Mark Fotheringham,” he said. “I would like to thank Motherwell and Preston and their managers, Mark McGhee and Alan Irvine, who have shown interest in me.”

McGhee was convinced Motherwell had clinched a loan deal after Kennedy linked up with the Uefa Cup qualifiers at the club's Austrian training camp.

“I was very, very disappointed at not being able to add John Kennedy to the pool,” said McGhee. “I'm as disappointed as I was excited when I thought John would be joining us a few weeks ago. The problem is our board were not prepared to pay what Celtic were asking and there were other clubs involved who were prepared to pay what Celtic want.”

Kennedy signed a new three-year deal at the Scottish champions in April 2007 but the highly-rated central defender's Parkhead progress has been blighted by two serious knee injuries.

The Scotland international missed the final six months of last season after damaging his knee in a Champions League game against Shakhtar Donetsk. He had only just returned from a three-year lay-off after injuring the same knee on his international debut.