Every game's a bonus now for Lappin

SIMON Lappin has admitted the season is coming to an end just as his is getting started - but he hopes to keep playing his part in Norwich City's survival mission.

Having been an exile under previous manager Glenn Roeder, the Scottish midfielder has been reinstated into first team training and match-day squads by Bryan Gunn, culminating in starts for City's last two Championship games in place of the suspended Darel Russell.

And although Russell's ban has now come to an end, Lappin is hoping he will continue to get the chance to remind Norwich fans what he is capable of. After all, the 26-year-old has some lost time to make up for.

“It's coming to an end too soon for me, but as long as we're safe come May 3, I'll be absolutely delighted,” said Lappin.

Just being involved is something Lappin is fully appreciative of, having been frozen out for the vast majority of Roeder's ill-fated reign, and his hopes of returning to Norwich's first team was always the driving factor.

“I always hoped so; I've always believed in my own ability and it was just about getting the opportunity to do it. Thankfully the manager's given me that and it's up to me to hold on to my place,” said Lappin.

“I don't know what's going to happen on Saturday, if there's going to be changes or whatever. Only the manager will know that. But I'm ready to go and I have been for the majority of the season.”

Lappin spoke again of his time out of the first team picture under Roeder, a frustrating period that ultimately only served to make the former St Mirren favourite more determined to prove his worth in a Norwich shirt.

“It was a bit disappointing. I went on loan to Motherwell and had a great time there,” he said. “The staff and all the players were great with me and they gave me an opportunity to play football, which was really what I wanted to do.

“But I wanted to come back here and prove I was worth a place in the side, which I never got the opportunity to do under the previous regime. So at times it was frustrating.

“You'd go home and kind of bang your head against a brick wall, and you didn't know what to do. But thankfully I feel like I've put that all behind me now.

“I'm back involved, and that's where I want to be. I prefer wide left of a midfield four - but beggars can't be choosers.

“I'm just happy to be in the team and whatever kind of job I'm asked to do, I give my lot.”

A trip to Swansea on Saturday, followed by an Easter Monday visit from in-form Watford makes up the Easter programme - two games in three days that could have a great bearing on whether Championship rigors or League One await in August.

“These are two massive games. But we all believe that we can get points from these games,” said Lappin.

“Saturday was a disappointment and we've got to bounce back from it, we can't dwell on it. We've got a tough game at Swansea and we need to prepare right and be mentally right for that game. It'll be a tough one as well but all the boys believe we can go down and get a result.”

Lappin is playing for his long-term future as his two-year deal expires in the summer, but he has already let Gunn know that, despite the tough times, he's not sick of Norwich yet.

“I've let the manager know I want to be here for the long term,” said Lappin.

“My contract is up and I don't know what's going to happen, but I've let him know I want to be here and that I want to be a part of his plans. I'm thankful he's given me an opportunity to do that at the moment.

“Obviously we want to be in the Championship, so that can be a key factor, but we all believe that we're going to be here, in the Championship, come the end of the season.

“We've got a few boys who are playing for their future, I'm one of them, but we'll just take it one game at a time and we'll see what happens.”