Joe Lewis hopes to return - one day

Joe Lewis says he wants to play for Norwich City one day - but insists he is happy to stay loyal to relegated Peterborough United.

The 22-year-old is a self-confessed Canaries fan and has been linked with a return to the club where he learned his trade should manager Paul Lambert be unable to persuade Newcastle to part with loan star Fraser Forster.

Lewis has been linked with a string of clubs in the top two divisions of English football, but while donning the City jersey in a senior game for the first time is an ambition, he insists he has a duty to be loyal to Peterborough, even after the drop back to League One.

'I am a Norwich fan and all season I have been willing them on and watching all the results,' said Lewis.

'I would love to play for Norwich at some stage in my career. Whether it is going to happen, or not, I don't know, but I am a Norwich fan and if the opportunity came along I would seriously look at it.

'I have two years left on my contract and I consider myself fairly loyal as a player and I am willing to honour that contract until I am told otherwise.

'I am sure the club wouldn't hold me back if it's a good club and a good offer, but until I am told otherwise then I am a Peterborough player.

'There has been no offer come in that I am aware of, that the club has told me about, and until I get the shout that there has been an offer it is out of my hands. I have two years left so I haven't got a decision to make.

'Until I get a phone call saying a club has made an offer and they have accepted it, then it's out of my hands.'

Peterborough paid a club record transfer fee of �400,000 to take Lewis - who had been involved with City from the age of eight - to London Road in January, 2008, with City entitled to a sell-on clause if he moved to a different club. Fans were divided over the loss of a player only recently called up to the England Under-21 squad, but deemed not good enough to start a game for the Canaries.

Lewis enjoyed successive promotions to League One and then, a year ago, to the Championship, while City were heading the other way. With Posh now relegated and City bouncing back at the first attempt, Lewis has again missed out on facing his former club.

But he believes that City have something that Posh were always missing: experience.

'I think the advantage Norwich have got on us is that they have recent experience of it,' said Lewis, who has played under four keepers and five goalkeeping coaches in a tumultuous season at London Road.

'They have quite a few players in the team who have played at that level and know what it's about. When we got promoted we probably had maybe one or two players in the squad who had ever experienced that level.

'That's the main difference - it's not going to be a surprise to them.

'The standard is noticeably higher - in League One you can make the odd mistake and get away with it. In the Championship it is unforgiving, you don't get the warnings. You make a mistake and it's a goal, and that's not just the keeper or the defence - you give the ball away in a comfortable position and all of a sudden they're counter-attacking quickly and it's in the back of the net before you know it.

'But I think there are enough experienced players in the Norwich squad to know that already.'

Lewis dominated the club's awards ceremony, winning player of the season, away player of the season, BBC Radio Cambridgeshire player of the season and community player of the year.

'It was very pleasing and nice to get a bit of recognition - but I have had a lot to do,' he laughed. 'I'm not saying a goalkeeper doesn't get it in a good team. Fraser Forster has been outstanding and I think that has been noticed by quite a few people in a team that has won the league. It's not always the case, but I think I have had a bit more to do than I would like.'