The highs and lows of Lewis Grabban’s unpredictable Norwich City career

Lewis Grabban of Norwich is sent off by Referee Mark Brown for an alleged punch on Craig Morgan of Rotherham United after he was held in a headlock by the Rotherham player during a Sky Bet Championship match at the New York Stadium, Rotherham. Picture by Paul Chesterton/Focus Images Ltd (Image: ©Focus Images Limitedwww.focus-images.co.uk+447814 482222)

The tumultuous Norwich City career of Lewis Grabban has come to a profitable end for the Canaries, bringing an end to a spell of joyous highs and confusing lows.

City are believed to have made a £4.5million profit on the 27-year-old, after selling him back to Bournemouth in a deal worth £8m.

The former Millwall and Rotherham striker became the first signing of Neil Adams' Carrow Road reign when he joined in the summer of 2014, and went on to score 12 goals to help Norwich to promotion.

However, Grabban was strongly linked with a return to Bournemouth in the last summer transfer window and had made just eight Norwich appearances this season, scoring once – leaving few City fans surprised by yesterday's news.

Lewis Grabban scores his final Norwich City goal, in a 1-1 draw with Arsenal at Carrow Road in November 2015. Picture by Paul Chesterton/Focus Images Ltd (Image: ©Focus Images Limitedwww.focus-images.co.uk+447814 482222)

That is due to memories of the striker being suspended by City after going AWOL ahead of a Capital One Cup second round tie at Rotherham United last August, as he reportedly tried to force through a return to the south coast.

Norwich boss Alex Neil reintroduced Grabban in mid-September, bringing him off the bench in a 1-1 draw at Liverpool.

The hotshot then went on to score his first goal of the season in a 1-1 home draw with Arsenal at the end of November.

He had not featured since starting the Canaries' 2-0 loss at Watford in early December though and had not even been on the substitutes' bench for the past five matches.

There are earlier good memories for the player though.

Six goals in his first nine games – including the only goal in a 1-0 win at Ipswich – saw him become an instant hit. Just two goals followed in his next 22 matches but the forward returned to form after the arrival of Neil in January 2015.

Another burst of five goals in six games in February and March helped keep City's promotion push on track but a red card in a 1-1 draw at Rotherham late in the season saw his campaign end on a low note.

In total Grabban, who turns 28 today, scored 13 goals in 44 matches for the Canaries.

He rejoins Bournemouth, where he scored 35 goals in 93 matches to help the Cherries to promotion from League One and then to establish themselves in the Championship, on a three-and-a-half-year deal.

The Dorset club were promoted as champions under Howe last season and are currently two points behind City in the Premier League standings, in 16th place.

The nagging worry that Grabban could now help one of the Canaries' bottom-half rivals to steer clear of the relegation battle remains.

Many City fans will feel Neil already has their team on track to survive though – regardless of what Bourenmouth and Grabban achieve in the next few months.