Chris Lakey Darren Huckerby has ruled out a possible summer move to another Championship club - by declaring that he could never play against Norwich City. Huckerby is out of contract in the summer and has yet to open talks with manager Glenn Roeder over a renewal, prompting much speculation over his next move.

Chris Lakey

Darren Huckerby has ruled out a possible summer move to another Championship club - by declaring that he could never play against Norwich City.

Huckerby is out of contract in the summer and has yet to open talks with manager Glenn Roeder over a renewal, prompting much speculation over his next move. But Huckerby - whose appearance against QPR could turn out to be his home farewell - will disappoint a host of managers with his declaration that he will never line up against the club that may end up dispensing with his services.

“I have made a conscious decision that I don't want to play against Norwich City, so that kills a lot of clubs and a lot of potential teams I could go to,” said Huckerby, who has been free to talks to other clubs since January. “It wouldn't mean anything to me to play against Norwich. It means everything to me to play for Norwich and for another team it wouldn't mean anything. It would be a job, and I don't want that. I want to remember this place as a great place and I want the fans to remember me as someone who did great things for them. I can't - I won't - be coming back here to play against them.”

However, while Roeder appears to hold the aces, it is clearly not a one-way street, with Huckerby insisting he would have to be happy with the terms before he put pen to paper.

“I haven't spoken to him about it at all,” he said. “I am not trying to put pressure on, not at all. Whatever happens happens, that's the honest truth. I won't be short of work, I know that already. I have to sit down with my family and I will decide. Even if Norwich offer me a contract it doesn't mean I will sign it. That doesn't mean I don't want to play for Norwich, but there are a lot of factors I have to consider.

“This is my home now, but everything has to be right for me to stay. I am not going to stay on to make up numbers. We will have to sit down and whatever the manager wants to do he will do. Either way I am happy with what I have achieved here. There will be no hard feelings whatever is sorted out.”

Roeder has always said that contract talks with Huckerby, as well as skipper Mark Fotheringham and defender Gary Doherty, were on hold until the season was over.

“We have a few weeks to go now, when we can find time,” he said. “I guess his agent will want to come and have a chat. We will sit down and talk. But I am not giving any clues away one way or the other.”