Michael BaileyScunthorpe striker Paul Hayes has played down talk of a summer return to Norwich City.The striker, who scored the winner for the Iron at Sheffield United on Sunday, is out of contract at the end of the season, but the 26-year-old wants to earn a new deal at Glanford Park.Michael Bailey

Scunthorpe striker Paul Hayes has played down talk of a summer return to Norwich City.

The striker, who scored the winner for the Iron at Sheffield United on Sunday, is out of contract at the end of the season, but the 26-year-old wants to earn a new deal at Glanford Park.

'I still see my future as a Scunthorpe player,' said the City academy product. 'I've lived up here since I was 19 and I've got a wife and kids who are settled in this area.

'I'm not a single lad who wants to move around, but obviously everything has to be in the right order before things can be settled.

'There's a few of us out of contract at the end of the season, but things are going on behind the scenes. I'll just let my football do the talking and hopefully things will get sorted.'

Hayes has scored 12 goals for the Championship side this season, and 39 in 129 starts since moving to United in the summer of 2007.

He began his career at Norwich, coming through the ranks, but was unable to break into the first team despite making the bench for the first two games of the 2001-02 season.

In December, 2002, he was released from his academy contract and started the first of two spells with Scunthorpe, moving to Barnsley in June 2005 before returning two years later, having had a loan spell at Huddersfield.