David Cuffley New recruit Ewan Chester believes the role of chief scout is more important than ever to Norwich City - and that there is little margin for error when signing players.

David Cuffley

New recruit Ewan Chester believes the role of chief scout is more important than ever to Norwich City - and that there is little margin for error when signing players.

The 57-year-old has been appointed to a post left vacant at Carrow Road since John Deehan's exit was announced two days after Paul Lambert became manager last August.

Chester left Rangers after a 20-year association with the Glasgow club to become part of Lambert's backroom team and said he was excited by the challenge.

"It is a very progressive club, a great set-up, the training ground is excellent so there is a chance to do something," he said.

"I think it is something that you tend to look on as a more important role now than ever because teams can probably take fewer risks in signing players than they could in the past.

"I think that's probably throughout the game now - apart from Premier League clubs with their Sky budget I think there is a reality and clubs are having to try to work to budget now maybe more than they have done in the past."

Chester said his priority would be looking for first team players.

He said: "It's really first team football needs. With Walter Smith I've always done the first team at Rangers. It is really identifying what the manager needs. Paul will give me specifics, I know the way he thinks, and it is up to me to fill in the gaps.

"You have to try to have a structure, you have certain positions you want to strengthen and it is your job to come up with better than what you have.

"It will be geared to going out and seeing matches and that will probably dictate what the composition of the working week is. I just need to see what the scouting network is. The first thing to do will be speak to the people on board and then take it from there.

"I know the people I'm coming to work for, which I think is important. I've been friends with Paul for a number of years and I worked with David McNally at Fulham. He was managing director when I was there, so they are people I trust and respect."

Chester, whose move from Ibrox coincides with that of full-back Steven Smith, City's third summer signing, admitted the switch represented a big career change but Lambert believes he can unearth a few diamonds for City.

"I can see people with my own eyes - what people can do and what they can't - but having him will be a huge help to us," said Lambert. "You don't work at Rangers Football Club for 20-odd years and work under Walter Smith if you are not good at your job."

However, Lambert is not asking his new scout to scour the globe.

"I don't want to fill the club with foreign lads," he said. "I think if you do that it can create its problems. It's different if they are the Scandinavian type. Those sort of lads are British-type lads, but I am just not too sure of going down that road."