New signing Simon Lappin is relishing the fourfold increase in home crowds his move to Norwich City will bring. Left-sided midfielder Lappin, 24, signed a 2½-year deal with the Canaries yesterday after his transfer from St Mirren for an undisclosed fee.

New signing Simon Lappin is relishing the fourfold increase in home crowds his move to Norwich City will bring.

Left-sided midfielder Lappin, 24, signed a 2½-year deal with the Canaries yesterday after his transfer from St Mirren for an undisclosed fee. And he said the chance to play Championship football with City was too good to miss.

“I'm an ambitious guy and once this chance came along I wanted to take it and St Mirren were good enough not to stand in my way,” said Lappin.

“I've been there for seven years. I loved every minute of it. But once the chance came, there was no way I was going to knock it back. I can't wait to get started and I'm thoroughly looking forward to it.

“To see the support, the stadium, the training facilities, just everything about it . . . I'm just absolutely delighted everything's gone through.”

He said bigger crowds were a key part of the attraction.

“St Mirren normally get about five or six thousand. Obviously when Celtic and Rangers come to town, it's a sell-out of 11,000, I think. But it's a big difference to what it's going to be down here. There's going to be 20,000-plus at every game. To play in front of crowds like that is what you want as a player.”

He was given a taste of the Carrow Road atmosphere at City's home defeat by Wolves on Tuesday.

“I thought they were excellent. I can't believe they didn't win the game with the chances they had," he said, predicting a swift change in City's league position.

“We're down there just now but I don't think we'll be there too much longer”

He said of his own game: “I can play on the left-hand side. I've been playing as a wing-back but I like to get forward and get a lot of balls into the box."

He expects a more robust game in England, adding: “I think it's a lot more physical. The SPL is quick but from what I've seen the Championship is quicker and lot more physical.”

As for a possible debut against Leeds on Saturday, he said: “That's what I'm here for but that's up to the manager.”

Manager Peter Grant said: “Simon is a boy who has been doing very well with St Mirren. He's a natural left-sided boy, he can cover the full area of the left-hand side of the pitch and he can also play in midfield. He's a natural left-footer, and an under-21 international.

“I felt for the value we were getting for him it was too good an opportunity to miss.

“I was asking in Scotland about the left-siders and his name kept appearing - his was one name that kept coming up. Everybody spoke very highly of him.”