DAVID THORPE Canaries stopper Robert Green could find the transfer spotlight shining in his direction today after Dean Kiely completed his move from Charlton to Portsmouth.

DAVID THORPE

Canaries stopper Robert Green could find the transfer spotlight shining in his direction today after Dean Kiely completed his move from Charlton to Portsmouth.

Kiely's decision to end his six-and-a-half year stay at The Valley looks set to set off a goalkeeping merry-go-round, with Green a likely player.

The move ends Portsmouth's interest in the City number one - but could prompt Charlton boss Alan Curbishley to look to Carrow Road for a replacement.

Reports from south London suggested Curbishley had gone cool on a move for Green, although that was before Kiely agreed to moveto Pompey.

Green is a one-club man, having progressed from the schoolboy ran, but knows, in World Cup year, that playing in the Premiership rather than the Championship would his England's aspirations no harm at all.

And while Norwich, even before the sale of Dean Ashton this week, have said they don't need to sell, the prospect of cash plus players from The Valley might prove tempting, especially as City manager Nigel Worthington had Kevin Lisbie on loan earlier this season and has in the past expressed an interest in his team-mate, Jonatan Johansson.

The timing for Worthington wouldn't be good: Green's back-up Darren Ward is currently sidelined with a back problem.

Curbishley may well, of course, be satisfied with his present goalkeeping staff, although he has used three keepers this season. Danish international Stephan Andersen played for the opening four months of the season only to lose his place when Kiely recovered from a fractured finger. Kiely then returned to first-team action for the Carling Cup tie against Blackburn in late November and a run of three further Premiership matches followed before Curbishley turned to Norwegian number one Thomas Myhre, who has been between the posts ever since.

It was that demotion which prompted Kiely to move on, leaving Portsmouth boss Harry Redknapp delighted at his sixth signing of the January transfer window.

“Dean seemed to have gone down the order at Charlton, but I think Alan Curbishley will be the first to acknowledge the tremendous service and level of performance he has given to a solid Premier League outfit,” said Redknapp.

“His record in the Premier League speaks for itself. It is amazing to have played so consistently - the number of games he had missed before this season you could count on one hand.

“I think in the time he kept goal for Charlton they never finished below 14th and he has been a virtual ever present for most of that time. And at 35 he is just coming into his prime for a goalkeeper.”