England Under-21 defender Ryan Bennett is relishing the chance to take his game to another level under Paul Lambert at Norwich.

The Canaries made an 11th-hour swoop for the centre-back on transfer deadline day, with Bennett halfway to Swansea before turning back to Norfolk where he completed what is understood to be a £3million deal late into the night.

As part of the move, Bennett has been loaned out again to Posh until the end of the month, when he will finally join up with his new team-mates and a manager whose stature continues to grow following Norwich's impressive return to top-flight football.

"As soon as I knew the interest from Norwich was full-on, I turned the car around and drove there. I did not get back to Peterborough until four in the morning, but it was all worth it," said Bennett, capped by England Under-21s against Norway in October.

He added on Canaries Player: "The manager has taken every club he has been at forwards, and has continued to do that at Norwich.

"For me to go there and play under a manager like him, I am sure it will make me a better player to achieve the level I want.

"The Premier League is the top league in the world, everyone wants to play in it and hopefully I will get my chance.

"Norwich are a close bunch of lads, so hopefully I can fit in well.

"There are a lot of good players there and it is up to me to work hard, take a chance when I get it and make a name for myself there."

The Canaries consolidated their place in the top half of the table with a 2-0 win over Bolton at Carrow Road on Saturday but both centre-backs, Daniel Ayala and Zak Whitbread, had to be replaced with injury.

Ayala, 21, suffered what is reported to be a minor tear in his hamstring and the summer signing from Liverpool faces another spell out, having just regained his place in the side after a knee problem.

Whitbread, meanwhile, came off with his own hamstring issue, which the American-born centre-back hopes will not prove too serious.

Having to break up a defensive partnership which had been growing in recent weeks would be a setback for Lambert as he prepares for the trip to Swansea, another of the promoted sides who have defied pre-season predictions to compete at the top level.

Russell Martin, Leon Barnett and Elliott Ward, now recovered from a pre-season knee injury, all provide options in the middle.