Wes Hoolahan says he's happy to turn his back on transfer speculation and stay at Carrow Road.The Irish midfielder has been one of the stars of the show for City this season, having battled his way back into manager Paul Lambert's first team plans just when it looked like he was on his way out.

Wes Hoolahan says he's happy to turn his back on transfer speculation and stay at Carrow Road.

The Irish midfielder has been one of the stars of the show for City this season, having battled his way back into manager Paul Lambert's first team plans just when it looked like he was on his way out.

Middlesbrough manager Gordon Strachan has been linked with a transfer window move for the 27-year-old, but Lambert has put the blocks on any moves - and the player himself says he's happy to ignore the speculation.

“I'm not really aware of that,” he said. “I'm just keeping my head down at the moment. I'm quite happy where I am.”

It will be music to the ears of City fans, who have taken the pint-sized midfielder to their hearts since he began to show his true colours under Lambert, having endured a rocky relation ship with former manager Glenn Roeder.

Hoolahan will never be short of admirers, and the secret to keeping him beyond the end of the season is securing promotion.

“You need to be playing at Championship level or higher,” he admitted in an interview with the Irish Independent. “League One is good, but it's nothing compared to the top two divisions.”

Hoolahan was lauded by Roeder, who signed him from Blackpool in June, 2008, but within weeks of the season starting saw his attitude very publicly criticised.

However, it appears that Norwich is now home, sweet home for the man from Dublin.

“As a club, it's a big set-up compared to where I've been before,” he said. “There's 25,000 people at the games every week and they love their football; it's a great atmosphere around the place.

“It was hard at first, definitely, and then being injured and getting relegated, but it's turned around and I'm really happy here now.

“For me, it took me a bit of time to settle when I first came across, but once you get used to that, then you're laughing.”