COLCHESTER United left-back Marc Tierney is set to complete a controversial move to bitter rivals Norwich City on Thursday having proclaimed just last season that ‘never in a million years’ would he play for the Canaries.

The 25-year-old, who rejected a new deal at the U’s and was set to be out-of-contract in the summer, passed a medical at the Championship club late on Wednesday afternoon.

He is now set to sign a two-and-a-half-year deal at Carrow Road and link back up with Scottish manager Paul Lambert, the man who brought Tierney to The Weston Homes Community Stadium from Shrewsbury in 2008 before controversially leaving the U’s for Norwich at the start of the following season.

This move will upset U’s fans after they took the tough-tackling defender to their hearts during his two and half seasons at the League One club.

Tierney has always said he loved living in Essex, described himself as ‘a fan in a shirt’ and laughed off speculation he was set to join Norwich last season as the U’s chased their Norfolk rivals for compensation over Lambert’s switch.

Having spoken exclusively to the EADT, Tierney is on record as saying: “My girlfriend went shopping the other day and someone asked her if I was going to Norwich!

“I’d just like to say that I would never in a million years go to Norwich. I can categorically say that!”

Tierney has missed Colchester’s last three games with a dead leg and a virus. He told the EADT last week that the injuries and illnesses were genuine and that he was ‘hurt’ that people may have thought otherwise.

U’s boss John Ward has already signed a left-back this month in the shape of former Republic of Ireland U21 international Conor Powell.