Midfielder Sammy Clingan said it was the prospect of working with Glenn Roeder that persuaded him to move to Norwich City.The 24-year-old Northern Ireland international became City boss Roeder's first summer signing yesterday when he joined on a Bosman free transfer from Nottingham Forest.

Midfielder Sammy Clingan said it was the prospect of working with Glenn Roeder that persuaded him to move to Norwich City.

The 24-year-old Northern Ireland international became City boss Roeder's first summer signing yesterday when he joined on a Bosman free transfer from Nottingham Forest.

Belfast-born Clingan has signed a two-year contract and will meet his new team-mates at Colney on July 1 when his contract at the City Ground expires.

“I'm absolutely delighted to be joining a big club like Norwich City,” said Clingan, who looks set to face his former team-mates for the first time on November 22, when City travel to Forest for a Championship fixture.

“I'm leaving a good club, Nottingham Forest, to join Norwich and I'm really looking forward to trying to get them promoted to the Premier League.

“Once I had spoken to Glenn Roeder and viewed the fantastic facilities at the club it was an easy decision to make. I knew of Glenn's managerial reputation, working with big name players in the Premier League, and hopefully he will help me become a better player too.

“I was very impressed with what he said and his plans for the future - it really caught me and now I can't wait for the first game.”

Clingan rejected a new deal with newly-promoted Forest and is understood to have been offered much better terms by the Canaries.

Roeder admitted he had tracked the player for some time.

“I'm extremely happy to secure the signature of Sammy Clingan,” he said.

“He is a player we watched a number of times during a successful promotion season at Nottingham Forest last year. We felt that he was the driving force in their midfield and we look forward to him continuing his career in an upward curve with us.

“He is a Northern Ireland international with lots of experience. Having met him he struck me as having the drive and motivation that I'm looking for in my players.”

Clingan, who has made 12 appearances for Northern Ireland, was a trainee at Wolves, but after two loans spells with Chesterfield, he joined Forest for a nominal fee in January 2006.

He suffered a broken ankle at the end of the 2006-07 season, but made 40 league starts as Forest secured the second automatic promotion spot on the final day of last season. In all, he made 96 senior appearances for Forest, scoring once.

Clingan becomes Roeder's second permanent signing - after midfielder Matty Pattison - since he became manager at the end of October. But he expects to make many more after releasing nine players in May and seeing six loan players return to their clubs.