I don't want to finish second - Huckerby

[Huckerbys right foot]

NORWICH CITY hero Darren Huckerby was keen to put the promotion champagne on ice at Colney this morning — insisting the job was only half done.

Huckerby, who celebrates his 28th birthday tomorrow, has his sights set on lifting the Nationwide League title after Crystal Palace's 3-0 win over Sunderland last night handed the Canaries a ticket back to the top flight after nine years of hard labour.

"I don't want to finish second — I really want to win the league," said Huckerby, whose 13 goals this season have done so much to underpin Norwich's successful Premiership push.

"Everybody's celebrating but we've got four games left and we want to win the league," added Huckerby, with Norwich due to return to earth at Vicarage Road, Watford, on Saturday.

"I don't want to finish second. To finish second would for me be something of a failure," said Huckerby.

Interestingly, for the thousands who no doubt have already written off Norwich's hopes of making an impact in the top flight next term, Huckerby revealed he would be more than happy to go into Premiership battle with his existing Canary colleagues.

Huckerby's arrival, originally on a loan basis, and then full-time from Boxing Day merely added the icing to the promotion cake.

"When I first arrived here, it wasn't about a permanent move," revealed Huckerby. "It was all about getting a few games and hopefully helping to push Norwich into the play-off places. I don't think anyone would have expected it at that stage to have worked out as well as it has."

Certainly the Huckerby factor looked in real danger of collapsing at Christmas as for 48 fraught hours a deal to bring the striker to carrow Road hung by the slenderest of threads.

"In the end it was Nigel's persistence and my persistence that made it happen. I know I put myself out to get here and took a lot of risks but hopefully it's paid off," said Huckerby.

"We've got a good team here. We're strong at the back, we've got a good midfield and we're scoring goals — what more do you want? I know that if I had to go into battle next season with these lads that are here at the club now then I'd be more than happy."

City skipper Adam Drury admitted he was living in dreamland as the promotion slowly began to sink in.

He said: "I'm absolutely delighted with the way it's gone – if you'd told me at the start of the season that I'd be captain and promoted, I wouldn't have believed you, so to do it with four games left is brilliant.

"During the season people have said we've been lucky to be top but the league table doesn't lie and we deserve to be where we are.

"Losing in the play-off final two seasons ago was a massive disappointment and many teams fall away after that but, we came back and now we have got ourselves promoted."

Drury was at the reserve game against Brentford at Carrow Road last night and met up with many of the other players at Paul McVeigh's house to celebrate later.

"To get promoted without playing is a bit bizarre but all that matters is that we are up."