Grant confirms Vine interest

Peter Grant has confirmed he is a fan of Luton Town striker Rowan Vine, but the Norwich City boss insists he has not yet entered the race for the Hatters hot-shot.

Skysports.com confirmed yesterday that Luton have already rejected a bid from Cardiff for their top-scorer after Vine caught the eye with 12 goals for the Championship strugglers so far this season.

The Hatters are believed to be holding out for more than £1million for the former Portsmouth man after also selling Carlos Edwards to Sunderland in January, and Grant admits he is yet to test Mike Newell's resolve with a firm approach.

However the Scot admits he is a fan of Vine after seeing him impress during his formative years at Fratton Park.

"He's somebody I've known about for a long, long time because he was a reserve team player at Portsmouth when I was at Bournemouth," Grant told The Pink 'Un.

"He's done exceptionally well and his scoring record in the Championship is fantastic, but if it gets into a bidding war I can't put all my eggs in one basket for a striker.

"I've not made any contact but with the goals he's scored, I know he's one of the names that gets bandied about."

Grant also confirmed he is determined to be in the frame for Derek Riordan's signature if the Celtic striker becomes available.

The former Hibernian man had been considering his future after finding himself on the bench at Celtic Park this season, but recently opened his account for The Bhoys and could now stay in Scotland.

"He's proved his qualities, and went and scored for Celtic in his first start," Grant added.

"He's got great qualities, there's no doubt about that. As long as I've got a chance of getting him, I will be in the pack there with the rest of them."