Fraser Forster says he would jump at the opportunity of pulling on the Norwich City number one shirt again – if the opportunity ever arose.

Forster played a starring role in City's emergence from the depths of League One to the top of the table and a place in the Championship, but was left disappointed when his hopes of a return to Carrow Road this season were left in tatters.

His parent club Newcastle have loaned him out to Scottish Premier League giants Glasgow Celtic for the current campaign – but the big stopper still holds a place in his heart for the Canaries.

'It was absolutely brilliant for me at Norwich,' he said. 'I simply can't thank the people there enough for what they did for me.

'I wanted to come back, but it was just one of those things that was annoying because Newcastle wouldn't let me come back until towards the end of pre-season. That wasn't good for Norwich because they wanted a goalkeeper in place and sorted out. There was nothing I could do and it got to the stage where it just couldn't be agreed.'

Forster's taste of first team football with Norwich and now Celtic means he is reluctant to accept a place on the bench in future – and he says he'd loved to play at Carrow Road again, in some guise or other.

'I was absolutely gutted to miss the pre-season match there,' he said. 'I loved my time and it was so fantastic to win the league.

'You never know what might happen in football – I could end up playing against them at Carrow Road, which I'd enjoy, I could end up doing it the other way, who knows. You never know in this game but yes, it would be great to go back.'

Forster, 23, became a cult figure at City, having joined in time for Lambert's second league game in charge and going on to make 42 appearances in all competitions.

Distance hasn't eroded his affection for the place.

'I watched the game against Bristol City on TV and it is pretty much the first result I look for,' he said. 'Whenever I come off the pitch I ask how they have got on – and I'm not really surprised they're doing so well. Obviously there have been some changes but while they may have surprised some people, I know from my time what Paul Lambert is like.

He is a fantastic manager and he was brilliant for me last year – and I'm sure the lads there now feel the same.

'He instils confidence in the players and gives them a belief. He can do anything.'

Forster's disappointment at not returning has been compensated for by playing for Celtic, who are still on course for a Scottish league and cup double after their League Cup defeat to Rangers at the weekend.

'Hopefully we can win some things this season,' he said. 'It's a fantastic place to play your football but I am in a similar situation as to the one I had at Norwich in that I don't know what will be happening to me in the summer.

'At the moment it's just great playing in front of 60,000 Celtic fans and getting abused by Rangers fans at Ibrox – it's what football is all about.'