Former Norwich City striker Cody McDonald is determined to prove he can cut it in the Championship at Coventry City.

Former Norwich City striker Cody McDonald is determined to prove he can cut it in the Championship at Coventry City.

The 25-year-old sealed a deadline day move to the Sky Blues for an undisclosed fee after a summer of speculation linking the forward with a Carrow Road exit.

McDonald could only watch from afar as Paul Lambert guided the Canaries to Championship promotion last season while he struck 25 goals in a lower league loan spell at Gillingham. Now the one-time Dartford hitman intends to make the most of his chance to impress in the higher echelons of the Football League.

'This is a great opportunity for me to come in and prove to people what I can do and I am really looking forward to it,' he said.

'The gaffer at Norwich sent me out on loan to score some goals and get some minutes under my belt and I thoroughly enjoyed my time at Gillingham but this is a new challenge for me and I can't wait to get started.

'It's a massive club so it was a bit of a no brainer really. When I knew Coventry were interested it was a matter of getting here as quickly as possible and getting it done. I looked around at the stadium and the training facilities and they are all brilliant. I just couldn't wait to meet up with the lads.'

McDonald revealed a strong Norwich connection at the Ricoh convinced him to make the move to the Midlands despite reported late interest from Peterborough and MK Dons. Coventry boss Andy Thorn was also a major factor in the deal after labelling McDonald his number one transfer target.

'It is nice to hear people say that because they have got faith in you and I can't wait to get started for Coventry City,' he said. 'I respect what I used to do in non-league but I don't want to go back there and, of course, that makes me hungrier to prove to people that I should be playing at this level and hopefully that's what I can do here at Coventry.

'They've already made me feel really welcome. It can be a bit daunting but I do know Sammy Clingan - I played with him a bit at Norwich - and Belly (David Bell) I knew briefly. The boys were fantastic and I thoroughly enjoyed my first session. I just can't wait to get going.'

Thorn is confident McDonald will continue to score freely in the Championship after notching 25 goals for the Gils in League Two.

'Cody was always my number one choice,' he said. 'I told the chairman I wanted him a couple of months ago and, to be fair, he's gone and got him. He fits in with what we are trying to do here. He plays off the shoulder and gets in behind and, crucially, scores goals. He's an exciting player who has a proven track record. We believe that he is capable of producing at this level and we are delighted to have him on board.'