CHRIS LAKEY Dion Dublin has been given a 10-day deadline to decide whether he has a future at Norwich City. The 38-year-old has an offer on the table for another year at Carrow Road - but manager Peter Grant has allowed him extra time to discuss his options with his family, who are still based in the Midlands.

CHRIS LAKEY

Dion Dublin has been given a 10-day deadline to decide whether he has a future at Norwich City.

The 38-year-old has an offer on the table for another year at Carrow Road - but manager Peter Grant has allowed him extra time to discuss his options with his family, who are still based in the Midlands.

Dublin's decision will have a major bearing on Grant's team building for next season - a process he began this week by revealing the names of the players he wants to keep and those who have been axed.

If Dublin feels the travelling time is too much and says no, then Grant will immediately begin the hunt to replace a player who has become a cult figure at Carrow Road since signing as a free agent last September.

“We are people, as well as pros,” said Grant. “That is why I have given Dion a little bit of leeway in the respect that he makes a decision. I am not going to rush that with him, but I will have to know probably within the next 10 days what he is going to do, because it lets me be clear in my mind what I am going to do.

“I will speak to him after the game, after the weekend, and the decision will be down to Dion.

“Probably by the end of next week I would have to know, because then I know whether I have to replace him or not, so it is important to us and I am sure Dion understands that as well.”

Grant says he has given Dublin the best possible deal and that the ball is firmly in the player's court.

“The club has done everything financial wise, that is not a problem and Dion will tell you that,” added Grant. “The problem is going to be if he wants to keep travelling up and down and obviously his kids are very important to him.”

A measure of Dublin's importance to Grant's plans is that he has been given more time to consider his deal than would have been granted other players.

“If it was a player who was making a decision whether he wanted to stay or whether he wanted to go, I would have made the decision last week, not this week, myself,” said Grant. “But because the situation is that there is family involved I think sometimes you need a little bit of time. The way we have had the games come as quickly, having that period to go and speak to your wife and sit down and reflect on the pros and cons of it, the kids schooling and what it is going to entail again next year - I think that is not a two-day conversation.

“I think that is a time for a conversation in reflection. Hopefully he has had that.”

Dublin one-year offer is no surprise given his age, and if he says turns it down it is unlikely he will be without options for next season.

“I think when you get to that stage you have to say, 'is he value for you and is he value for himself?', because I know the sort of professional he is,” said Grant.

“He is another year older. Does he still want to be travelling in a car? That is up to Dion. What route does he want to take next? Does he want to get into coaching? Does he want to get into management? All these things come into it, because it doesn't matter how good you feel in yourself, there is always a time when you have got to make a decision about what you want to do next.”