Norwich striker Aaron Wilbraham has revealed he has turned down several loan offers throughout the season to stay and fight for a first-team place at Carrow Road.
The 32-year-old has struggled to break into Paul Lambert's side with the form of fellow front-men Simeon Jackson, Steve Morison and Grant Holt. But the former MK Dons forward, who scored his first goal of the season in Saturday's 2-1 defeat at Fulham, told Norwich Evening News that he remains a part of the Norwich first-team squad.
"I've always felt part of the team," he said. "I have never felt not involved and that's one thing the manager is good at. He keeps everyone involved and no one feels out of it so I've never really wanted to leave once."
Wilbraham also admitted he was not the only player given the chance to leave Norfolk in search of regular football but the whole squad wants to remain part of the feel-good factor at Norwich.
He said: "There has been (offers from) teams throughout the season, like there have been for a few other players as well, but you want to stay in the Premier League and you want to do well. Everyone is disappointed (not to play) but everyone sticks together and that is something special that we've got here, that we can do that."
Lambert said earlier in the campaign that he had received several offers for Wilbraham but the striker has always felt like he is wanted by the Canaries.
"The manager has always said that he has wanted me to stay," he said. "That's the main thing when people come in for you, and I have just wanted to do the best I can."
The Norwich boss has also proved very adept at rotating his squad - with 25 players used so far this season - and Wilbraham is prepared to wait for more opportunities after breaking his Premier League duck at Craven Cottage.
"It (squad rotation) is what the manager is good at," he said. "It's not just me who is in this position of having to wait for my chances. There's a whole lot of other players in the squad who miss out and who don't even get on the bench.
"Obviously it's what you want to do, you want to score goals as a striker, but it doesn't make me a Premier League striker because I have only scored one goal. You want to keep scoring once you have scored one, but I'll just keep waiting for my chance and when I get on try to do my best like I always do."
Source: PA
