JONATHAN REDHEAD Peter Grant yesterday insisted Norwich City are still in the hunt for goalkeeper David Marshall - despite the signing of Rochdale stopper Matthew Gilks.

JONATHAN REDHEAD

Peter Grant yesterday insisted Norwich City are still in the hunt for goalkeeper David Marshall - despite the signing of Rochdale stopper Matthew Gilks.

Gilks, 25, will join the Canaries on July 1, on a free transfer. He has agreed a two-year deal with City after spending more than a decade at Spotland and playing nearly 200 games.

But Grant said the signature of former loan keeper Marshall from Celtic, was uppermost in his thoughts, although he has his sights on other players should the protracted efforts to sign the Scotland international fail to bear fruit.

"That's something we want," he said. "We have made an offer to Celtic and he is very keen to come to Norwich City. But how we value him and how Celtic value him seems to be very different. But I'm not just looking at David, and getting Matty proves that. We are definitely out there looking for more additions."

Gilks was unveiled to the media at a press conference at Carrow Road yesterday, alongside former Canaries keeper and current club liaison officer Bryan Gunn.

Gunn said Gilks had left the north west to challenge for the number one spot in Norfolk but was aware that the club were chasing other targets, especially Marshall.

"The sustained reports of Matthew last year were that he is an excellent goalkeeper, and we made the decision we needed competition," Gunn, who played 477 times for City, said. "We've got Steven Arnold, Paul Gallacher and Joe Lewis in the jerseys already, and we feel that Matthew will add to that.

"I'm not saying we've finished in our quest for goalkeepers there, but Matthew's aware of that and very positive about the whole situation.

"When we spoke to him and he came down to have talks with us, he was very impressed with the facilities. Obviously, that was one of the first things that took his eye. And we just now hope we can get him into the Norwich City way of having goalkeepers over the years."

Gilks' signing, in the face of competition including one Premiership side, also raises questions about the futures of Lewis and Gallacher.

Providing City finally get their hands on Marshall, it looks as if Lewis could be sent out on loan lower down the divisions for a season to gain vital first-team experience, as Grant has previously mentioned.

However, things would appear to look less rosy for Scotland international Gallagher. The 27-year-old has one more year remaining on his City contract but could find himself slipping to third in Grant's pecking order, despite making 32 appearance during the last campaign.