English Premier League newcomers Norwich City have signed Manchester United's Ritchie De Laet on a season-long loan on Friday.De Laet, 22, has made just six first-team appearances for Sir Alex Ferguson's side since joining from Stoke City in 2009.

He has enjoyed spells on loan at Sheffield United, Preston and Portsmouth in the lower tiers of English football but will have his first real opportunity to impress the Premier League champions when he competes against the best teams in the country on a weekly basis.

De Laet is likely to form a vital part of the Norwich side, who have been promoted in successive seasons since manager Paul Lambert took over at the East Anglia-based club.

"He'll be great for us," Lambert said after the signing was announced on Friday.

"He's young and one of his main strengths is pace and he comes from a great club where he's played first-team football. He'll come in and help the other lads out. He's played a lot of first-team games out on loan last season and I'm sure he'll do great for us."

The deal is subject to the completion of paperwork but will bolster Norwich's defensive options ahead of their first season in the English Premier League since 2004-05.