David Cuffley Midfielder Korey Smith regards his season with Norwich City as a “dream come true” - and is determined not to miss out on his side's promotion run-in.The 19-year-old Smith missed only his fourth League One match since Paul Lambert's arrival as City manager when a thigh injury kept him out of the 3-1 defeat at Tranmere on Good Friday.

David Cuffley

Midfielder Korey Smith regards his season with Norwich City as a “dream come true” - and is determined not to miss out on his side's promotion run-in.

The 19-year-old Smith missed only his fourth League One match since Paul Lambert's arrival as City manager when a thigh injury kept him out of the 3-1 defeat at Tranmere on Good Friday.

But he was back for the Easter Monday home win over Stockport, a 2-1 success that left the top-of-the-table Canaries needing a maximum of three wins from their final six matches, starting with today's visit of Milton Keynes Dons, to book their return to the Championship.

And he's confident he can get through the rest of the campaign without another setback.

He said: “It's fine. I just had a dead leg and it's one of those injuries where once they go you can just go on forever until you get a knock on them.

“After a long season you want to be in the run-in but with those little injuries, if you get another knock on them and you're out longer, it's always annoying. Luckily I got through this one and I hope I won't get any more this season.”

Smith had made just one senior appearance and one outing as a substitute when Lambert replaced Bryan Gunn as manager in August. He picked Smith for his first game in charge and the youngster responded with a goal in the 5-2 victory over Wycombe Wanderers.

Before today's game, he had chalked up 36 senior appearances this season in all competitions, with further goals in victories at Southend and Wycombe.

He admits he did not expect to become one of the first names on the team sheet.

He said: “My aim was always to be around the first team squad this year and hopefully get myself in the team but to have such a run of games and to have played almost every match is just a dream come true and I want to keep it going.”

Smith, who signed a new contract in October to take him through to 2013, has even exceeded Lambert's expectations by managing to keep going for so long.

He said: “When I was signing my contract the gaffer told me someone of my age would have dips in form quite a lot at different stages of the season but I've just tried to keep my game consistent and just as long as I give 100 per cent the gaffer's been happy with me.

“I think everyone naturally gets tired towards the end of the season but I think we're a very fit team. We've scored a lot of goals towards the end of matches when other teams tire, so I hope that will carry us through.”

His performances make him one of the probably candidates for City's player of the season award, but he has not given it a thought.

“It's not up to me. I don't watch the matches but I've done all right this season and I just try to get on with my game,” he said.