CHRIS LAKEY Darren Huckerby says he is prepared to accept whatever role Glen Roeder gives him on his return from a three-match ban. The flying winger has missed three games following his red card against Ipswich, and watched from the stands as City recorded their first win for more than two-and-a-half months on Saturday when they beat Coventry at Carrow Road.

CHRIS LAKEY

Darren Huckerby says he is prepared to accept whatever role Glen Roeder gives him on his return from a three-match ban.

The flying winger has missed three games following his red card against Ipswich, and watched from the stands as City recorded their first win for more than two-and-a-half months on Saturday when they beat Coventry at Carrow Road.

It was a victory that may just persuade Roeder to stick with a winning team - especially as Matty Pattison's contribution from the left flank was to set up both goals.

Huckerby has rarely been left out of the starting XI since exploding to the Carrow Road scene in the winter of 2003. All Roeder was saying was that Huckerby's return didn't cause him a problem - while the player says he is taking nothing for granted.

“Definitely not,” he said. “I am a team player. I have been working hard to keep myself fit and whatever the manager sees me to play I'll play. If he wants me to start I'll start. If he wants me to just travel I'll travel - it is not a big problem for me.”

Huckerby saw red for a high tackle on Ipswich's Jonathan Walters in the closing stages of the derby match.

“As soon as it happened there was nothing I could do after that,” he said. “It was a silly challenge, even though I still don't think it was a red card. It was a silly challenge, I know that, and I let the team down, but I have served my ban now and I am ready to help in any way the gaffer sees me.”

Huckerby is not the only player affected by the arrival of four loan players, but believes finances play a part in creating competition for places.

“Unless you are a big club you are not going to have two players for every position, it's a fact,” he said. “Look at most teams in this league and they have their set 11 and usually most of them play week in and week out. It is always nice to have people fighting for positions, but realistically in this day and age with the money that is available teams haven't got loads of players. We probably have a smaller squad than most teams, that is just the way it is, unless you are a big team with plenty of money. We could have twice as many players and then you're paying twice as many people to do nothing the next week.”

As well as the new faces, Huckerby says Roeder has brought new confidence.

“Since he has come in he has brought a few players in and I think he has given everyone a bit of self belief as well,” he said. “It's very difficult, confidence is a massive thing - he came in, we had the Ipswich game which everyone should have been up for anyway, but after that there was a little spell where we got battered really in the next two games, and after that he has brought some players in and we played well on Saturday.

“One game doesn't make a season - it's a start and that's what we needed.

“It was massive, not just that, the performance as well. More than anything it was consolidating what we had got, the new lads fitted in well, great result.

“We all know we were short in certain areas and the manager has addressed that. He will probably want to get a few more players in, but any player helps us at this time. We have to build on this, it is no good us winning on Saturday and getting nothing at Blackpool. We have to build on this - it definitely is a step forward.”