Celtic boss Gordon Strachan has ruled out a permanent Carrow Road deal for Norwich City loan signing David Marshall.

Celtic boss Gordon Strachan has ruled out a permanent Carrow Road deal for Norwich City loan signing David Marshall.

Canaries' chief Peter Grant has made no secret of his admiration for the strapping 21-year-old after finally capturing his long term target last week. Strachan moved to end growing speculation following the £100,000 arrival of Inverness Caledonian Thistle stopper Mark Brown just days after Marshall completed his season long switch south of the border.

The Hoops' manager has also allowed Michael McGovern to join Livingston on loan after a spell at St Johnstone earlier in the season as he bids to give his young keepers vital experience to challenge resident Polish number one Artur Boruc.

"David's long-term situation doesn't change," said Strachan.

"I've said over the last few weeks that we had a dilemma and we've only made this decision so that David can get better for us and himself. That means when he comes back we'll have four good goalkeepers on the books.

"David has a huge part to play in this club's future but he needed games. That's why we did it and we would have put ourselves out on a limb if we didn't have someone to step in.

"But Mark and David going on loan just brought it forward a bit quicker than we expected. With him (Brown) being out of contract at the end of the season, it made it easier to deal with."

Marshall views his Carrow Road switch as a perfect showcase to challenge for the number one jersey at Celtic Park next season.

"I am just here to get games and we'll see what happens in the summer," he said. "I haven't spoken to Gordon Strachan to see what is happening. For me just now it is a loan deal and I am going back to Celtic to fight for a place and until I know any differently that's what I will do.

"I am sitting on the bench up at Celtic and came here to get games - I am not guaranteed a game so I will just have to work hard and hopefully I can impress the manager and do well when I get the chance."

The Scotland international will bid to impress during training this week to edge out compatriot Paul Gallacher ahead of Saturday's FA Cup fourth-round trip to Blackpool.

"I've had challenges ever since I was in the first team at Celtic so it won't be much different for me," he said. "Hopefully I can win this one. I have met Paul three or four times in the Scotland set-up so I don't think there will be a problem."