Former Norwich City youth product Chris Martin has finally got the Canaries out of his system after linking up with new club Derby for pre-season.

Martin returned to training earlier this week with Rams' chief Nigel Clough taking his squad white water rafting as part of their preparations for the televised Championship kick-off against Blackburn on August 4.

The 24-year-old finally severed his ties with Norwich after a 14-year stint when he agreed a permanent switch to the East Midlands following a successful loan spell towards the end of last season.

'I think my move to Derby County can only be a positive thing,' he said. 'It was a shame to leave Norwich after such a long time there; it was my local team, I had been there since I was a 10-year-old and my family were just 20 minutes down the road.

'But things didn't work out there, and in football sometimes that is the case and you have to get on with it.

'I think they moved on from me and I have moved on from them. I believe that I am really lucky to have found a great club like Derby who wanted me to sign, and I wanted to sign here as well; hopefully this partnership can be a successful one.

'I have got a new Club to focus on and I cannot wait to get started; we have got a big fixture on the opening day of the season, and all the preparation starts now.'

Derby open their pre-season campaign with a one-game trip to Ireland where they will face Bohemians and Martin believes the next month is vital to bed the new faces into the first-team group.

Pre-season includes getting to know the new players and a bit of team bonding.

'We have got a great group here, and I have spoken about that previously during my loan spell it felt as though I had been here all season because I had settled in so quickly,' Martin told Derby's official site.

'Hopefully it will be the same for the other new faces here, and we can help them settle in really quickly with the team bonding activities.

'I have never been to the Republic of Ireland, and the game against Bohemians will be a good chance for the lads to get away together, have a night in the hotel and play a good team.'