Michael Bailey Norwich City manager Glenn Roeder has admitted there was one that got away before Thursday's emergency loan deadline came and went.Football league clubs are now unable to bring in any players from other clubs until the transfer window reopens at the start in January, and no emergency deals until the start of February.

Michael Bailey

Norwich City manager Glenn Roeder has admitted there was one that got away before Thursday's emergency loan deadline came and went.

Football League clubs are now unable to bring in any players from other clubs until the transfer window reopens at the start of January, and no emergency deals are allowed until February.

But Roeder's last ditch efforts to bring in a player from one of the Canaries' Championship rivals - believed to be a defender - failed to bear any fruit.

“I was very close; as in we didn't get the person I wanted at 4pm Thursday, which was very, very frustrating,” said Roeder. “I was expecting that the player would've come but we got into this scenario again that I got into about this time last year, when I tried to bring in a couple of senior players on loan.

“They seem to rather be in the comfort zone of maybe only playing sometimes for their team and the rest of the time sit in the stand and stay where they're not really wanted, rather than come to somewhere where they are wanted and play football every week. I just think it's really a sign of the times.

“This particular lad has been playing quite regular football for his first team but had become surplus to requirements in the last couple of weeks and would've been a very good signing for us.”

However, there was some activity the other way with Jamie Cureton handed a three-month loan spell at Barnsley.

The striker will go straight into the Tykes' starting line-up to face Nottingham Forest at the City Ground this weekend and Roeder hopes the spell at Oakwell will help Cureton get back to his old self.

“Jamie was getting more and more frustrated and although he was doing his best to keep himself correct out on the training ground, you could see it was really getting him down,” said Roeder, who will have a 24 hour recall option on the striker after his first 28 days at Norwich's Championship rivals.

However, some fans have questioned whether Cureton will play in a Norwich shirt again. So does the loan move make the end of Cureton's Norwich career?

“For three months,” replied Roeder. “Who can see into the future? But not necessarily, no. It might be just what he needs to kick start him playing first team football again.

“When your 33, you know realistically you're into the last couple of seasons of your career. You don't want to be spending any more time than you have to in the stands or only on the bench and the few times when he's got onto the pitch recently, he just didn't quite seem like the same Jamie Cureton.

“There are a couple of young players in Arturo and OJ that are trying to push their way into the team, younger and fresher legs.”