Norwich City look set to have a fight on their hands if they wish to prise Gary McSheffrey away from Coventry City.

Norwich City look set to have a fight on their hands if they wish to prise Gary McSheffrey away from Coventry City.

For after Canary boss Nigel Worthington today added the 23-year-old to his wanted list, Sky Blues boss Micky Adams swiftly issued the traditional “Hands off !” warning as he and the club's acting chairman, Geoffrey Robinson, plot a path back to the Premiership.

With 10 goals to McSheffrey's name already this season, Adams is making it abundantly clear that the Sky Blues Academy product is very much part of the club's long-term thinking.

“We've got big plans for the future,” said Adams, as Coventry unveiled a three-year plan to bring top-flight football back to their new state-of-the-art home, the Ricoh Arena.

“This club is hoping to get back into the Premiership, but we're not going to be able to do that if we start selling our best players,” said Adams. “And certainly, as far as I'm concerned, Gary is not for sale.”

Whether, given Coventry's reported £26 million debt, Robinson will turn away all offers for Calum Davenport's former Coventry youth team colleague is something the Canaries might be keen to test over the coming days.

As ever, the picture could change completely if anyone arrives with the sort of “crazy money” offer Worthington demanded for the services of Dean Ashton on Saturday.