Hughton offers Butterfield backing

Norwich boss Chris Hughton is confident summer recruit Jacob Butterfield will make a big impact at Carrow Road this season.

The midfielder arrived in the summer on a free transfer from Championship side Barnsley but a serious knee injury, which has kept him on the sidelines since the turn of the year, prevented him from being involved in the opening day loss at Fulham. Hughton believes the 22-year-old will continue to improve but the Norwich boss insists he has not signed Butterfield with a view to the future - but as a player he feels can fit into the first-team squad. The midfielder made his Barnsley debut in 2007 and captained the Tykes last season and Hughton insists Butterfield can establish himself as a regular starter during the current campaign, as soon as he has recovered from his knee problem. "Potentially he is as player that we brought in because of his quality," Hughton told the Eastern Daily Press. "Is he one for the future? We would like to think so but although he is young, he is not that young. He is not an 18 or 19 year old that no-one knows nothing about. "Some players at 22 have played 50-odd first team games. He is one for the immediate as will, once he has got fit. We knew he was four to six weeks behind and there is no-one more desperate to get involved. "He is enjoying being involved and on the training pitch which wasn't the case up to a few weeks ago but he'll still be a few weeks."