Roll the clock back nine months and it was clear that he had more than a half chance of signing Glenn Roeder's latest loan capture, Maceo Rigters.

The Dutch U21 striker had just come out of the European U21 Championships with the tournament's Golden Boot award for his four goals in five games; he looked sharp, menacing, quick and powerful.

Celtic were also on the prowl as Grant pondered. And, of course, it may well be that once Blackburn Rovers entered the fray with the prospect of Premiership football in their hand, so Norwich's last hopes of bringing Rigters to Norfolk on a full-time basis ended.

Maybe, in that light, Rigters earlier arrival was never an option.

Besides, Grant had another option up in his sleeve in the shape of the leading scorer in the Czech First Division, David Strihavka.

Far more continental in both frame and – as it would subsequently prove – outlook, it was Strihavka that packed his bags for the
pre-season tour to Holland as Rigters wandered off towards the bright lights of Blackburn.

Nine months later and events have turned pretty much full circle. Strihavka is back home in the Czech Republic having been paid up and sent on his way by Roeder, while Rigters finally makes it to Carrow Road.

His arrival will clearly taking a little of the awkward edge off proceedings as Roeder finds his goal-shy side flirting all-too dangerously again with the bottom three.

But there is one point to bear in mind. That while Grant may have got it wrong in Strihavka, the jury is still very much out on whether Mark Hughes got it right in Rigters.

He's 24-years-old now; that's a decent age. He's not a kid and yet for all last summer's obvious promise he has barely featured in the Rovers first team all season.

When he did, in the FA Cup third round clash at home to Coventry City, Blackburn lost 4-1 and he was off after the hour. So, it will be fascinating to see whether Roeder can prise more out of him than Hughes did one league higher.

You can say what you like about the standard of the Czech First Division but it will be tough to suggest that the European Under-21 Championships aren't a decent enough competitive stage upon to judge a player.

So it will be interesting. Roeder gets the man that Grant should have taken and his goals blast Norwich to safety... Rough old trade, football.

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