CHRIS LAKEY Canaries second choice keeper Matthew Gilks says he is prepared to help David Marshall keep hold of the number one shirt - but is ready to grab any opportunity that arises to make the place his own.

CHRIS LAKEY

Canaries second choice keeper Matthew Gilks says he is prepared to help David Marshall keep hold of the number one shirt - but is ready to grab any opportunity that arises to make the place his own.

Gilks - a summer signing from Rochdale - has the unenviable task of playing second fiddle to the £1m man from Celtic, but knows from experience that patience can be a virtue.

“I did it at Rochdale - Neil Edwards was there a number of years before me,” he said. “I bided my time there, trained hard and eventually, due to a toe infection, I got into the team and he never played for the club again.

“Thankfully for me I stayed in the team. So it is about biding your time and I'll just have to work hard and see what happens.”

Gilks isn't wishing the same bad luck on Marshall.

“No, not at all,” he said. “I think with goalkeepers it's a different position where there's one or two of you going for the position. Now that Marshy's in I'll help him any chance I can.

“If he asks me I'll try and help him as well as the goalkeeping coach. I think if the roles were reversed exactly the same would happen from David. It is a bit special being a goalkeeper with the banter between ourselves.

“Marsh has come down and he's number one. There are some good goalkeepers here. Obviously Joe (Lewis) is out on loan along with Gal (Paul Gallacher), but there's competition for places throughout the team and hopefully that'll pay off and make the team a lot stronger.”

Gilks admits he is taking time to adjust to his role as second choice, having not missed a game for Rochdale in two and a half seasons.

“Yeah, it is difficult,” he said. “But at the end of the day you are training day-in and day-out so they put you through your paces and when it comes to games it's just a matter of putting that into practice.

“It isn't ideal. Games come along every other week as it is, but the training pays off and you just put it into the games.”

It's the intensity of training alongside Marshall and coach Jim Hollman that is helping Gilks keep sharp.

And Gilks said he was keeping his sharpness up to scratch thanks to the intensity of training.

“You do get that from training anyway, just playing short sided games and being a goalkeeper you've got to be on your toes all the time anyway,” he said. “There's not a minute when you can switch off, so it is important.”

Gilks is beginning to settle into his new life, on and off the field.

“I love it here,” he said. “It's really, really nice. I'm just buying a house at the moment and the lads are absolutely fantastic, the staff are there to help and I've settled in really well. Quicker than I thought I would actually.”