JONATHAN REDHEAD Luke Chadwick wants Carrow Road to be turned into a fortress if Norwich city are to realise their dream of returning to the Premier League. Last season the Canaries lost eight home games, including to the likes of Crystal Palace, Burnley, Sheffield Wednesday and Chadwick described results at home as “massively important” as the nine-month long quest for promotion begins.

JONATHAN REDHEAD

Luke Chadwick wants Carrow Road to be turned into a fortress if Norwich city are to realise their dream of returning to the Premier League.

Last season the Canaries lost eight home games, including to the likes of Crystal Palace, Burnley, Sheffield Wednesday and Chadwick described results at home as “massively important” as the nine-month long quest for promotion begins.

City's first home game of the season is against Barnet in the Carling Cup on Tuesday, followed by the return of Southampton, who spoiled last season's final home game with a 1-0 victory, in the Championship.

“Everyone's raring to go,” he said. Everyone's really upbeat and can't wait for the start of the season. It's been a long time coming and it was a disappointing campaign last year so hopefully we can put this right this year.

“Home form's going to be massively important especially with the crowd we get which must be one of the biggest in the league.

“It's a great atmosphere down there so hopefully we can give the crowd something to shout about and make it a fortress once again.”

Chadwick, 26, who signed on a full-time basis from Stoke City in January, is hoping for a much better season than last year's injury-plagued campaign.

And he is also hoping to find the goal trail after finding the net during the derby defeat to Ipswich Town at Portman Road - but is not setting himself any targets.

“Every time I go out on the pitch I'm looking to score goals and make goals, and that's my job on the field,” he said. “Hopefully I'll get a few more goals this year and set a few up and the other lads will get a few as well and we'll be up at the top of the league at the end of the season.

“Obviously the midfield players have got to chip in with a few more goals. We've lost a lot of goals with Earnie (Robert Earnshaw) going as he was one of the league's top scorers. But we've got people like Hucks (Darren Huckerby) and Brownie (Chris Brown) and David (Strihavka) who will score a lot of goals.

“All the new lads have settled in. It's a great dressing room to come into and everyone's really friendly and it's a great atmosphere at the club so they've settled in well and hopefully they'll be able to perform.

“David is learning a lot of English so he's always got his phrasebook with him and he's coming on quickly so hopefully he'll get some goals for us.”

The former Manchester United and West Ham winger believes the teams relegated from the Premier League last season are among City's biggest rivals this time around.

“Everyone's got a chance going into it,” he said. “There must be about 10 or 15 teams who think they can get into the top six. Obviously the teams that have been relegated have got a bit of money to spend like the Watfords, the Sheffield Uniteds as they've got parachute payments so they'll have strong squads. But I think we've got a good squad together so hopefully we'll be up there challenging.”