Chris Lakey Sammy Clingan is hoping to make it a family affair when he returns to Nottingham Forest's City Ground today for the first time since his summer move to Norwich.

Chris Lakey

Sammy Clingan is hoping to make it a family affair when he returns to Nottingham Forest's City Ground today for the first time since his summer move to Norwich.

Clingan has 13 friends and family coming over from Northern Ireland and is hoping to give them a weekend to remember - and one for his former fans to forget.

"It's because it's my sister's birthday on the day of the game and they're coming over to celebrate that and they thought it would be good to get the Forest game in as well," said the Canaries midfielder, still sporting a bandage over his left eye after a collision during the international defeat by Hungary in midweek. "My family try to get over as often as possible."

Clingan will have quite an audience: family and friends, a nationwide TV audience - and the Forest fans who were cheering his name at the end of last season as he helped them to automatic promotion.

But, despite his affections for his former club, his two-and-a-half years at Forest are consigned to the history books.

"It's the first fixture I looked for when the fixture list came out," said the 24-year-old. "It will be a special occasion to go back there, but I'm not going to let it all affect me. I just want to get on with my game and play and hopefully get a win for Norwich.

"The first season I went there I joined in the January, and we just missed out on the play-offs. We were struggling at the start when I first came and the next season we got beaten in the play-off semi- final and obviously last season we got promoted automatically, which was a nice feeling.

"I would like to see the lads do well this season. They've been sitting towards the bottom end of the table, but recently they've picked up and we've got to be wary of that and hopefully we can go there and get a result.

"But I can't really worry about them any more. I've moved on since then and I've got to worry about Norwich."

Clingan has become a favourite with City fans for his consistent performances, but isn't too sure what to expect from the Forest supporters today.

"I'm not too sure to be honest, but I always gave 100pc any time I put a Forest shirt on as I do with any team and I'm just looking forward to going back," he said.

City manager Glenn Roeder no doubt wondered what sort of shape Clingan would be in after another Northern Ireland outing left him sporting war wounds.

"I just jumped up to head the ball and just caught one of their lads just above the eye and I got two stitches, but it's okay," he said.

"At the start of the second half I got a kick on the ankle and that's okay as well.

"It's just unfortunate it happens because I put the same work rate in as I do at Norwich. Maybe I'm a bit clumsy when I go away with Northern Ireland, but these things happen in football.

"Anytime I go they always slag me off like, 'what's going to happen to you this time?'.

"But I'm fit and available for Saturday."