Darel Russell admits he just wants to spread a little happiness after the personal trials of the summer. The Canaries midfielder was linked with a move away from Carrow Road and appeared to be out of the first team picture.

Darel Russell admits he just wants to spread a little happiness after the personal trials of the summer.

The Canaries midfielder was linked with a move away from Carrow Road and appeared to be out of the first team picture.

But a heart to heart with manager Paul Lambert has seen him return to the fold - and putting in the sort of top-drawer performances which interested the likes of Burnley and Preston.

Russell has refused to talk about what clearly became a summer of discontent and, although he broke his media silence after Saturday's game, he was still reluctant to delve deep into the issues which have clearly left their mark.

“I had a difficult start to the season,” he said. “A lot of rubbish was said, a lot of people think different things and I haven't obviously spoken over the last couple of weeks about it and there will be a time when I will explain myself and explain the situation I have been in over the past few weeks.

“Obviously I haven't been best pleased with certain things that have happened, but the gaffer sat down and spoke to me and I spoke to him. We were both very honest and open about everything and I am just getting myself fit now.

“Hopefully once I get myself up to speed and catch up with the rest of the boys I can start to put some performances in that I am fully pleased with.”

Russell - whose sister Sharlene has been appearing in the hit TV show X-Factor - is clearly a happier man than the one sidelined because of the transfer interest - with results like Saturday's win at Carlisle helping lighten his mood.

“Every time you get a result and you are playing football and enjoying yourself it's a boost to your weekend, so hopefully we have boosted everybody's weekend from the fans' point of view,” he said.

“Adam (Drury) has just had a newborn as well so he's now got a good weekend ahead of him, and hopefully my sister does well and gives me another reason to have another better weekend ahead of me.

“So if we can make everybody happy and do that on a more regular basis it makes the city better, it lifts the whole city - last season wasn't a good season.”

Russell played a starring role as City gritted their teeth and ground out a result at Brunton Park on Saturday.

“It's a difficult place,” he said. “We have had a very, very long journey yesterday and to come out and get the result has been massive.

“It's a long journey home for the fans and for us and to go home without a result would have been really disheartening on a long journey. We perhaps haven't performed as well as we have done over the last couple of weeks, but we have got the result and when you are not performing at your best it's how you get yourself up this league.

“We have played a bit of entertaining stuff over the last couple of weeks and today wasn't perhaps as entertaining, but the result is the main thing. We put points on the board and it is going to put us in a position where we can knock there or thereabouts.”