Soccer-Norwich forward Grabban apologises for missing League Cup match

Sept 11 (Reuters) - Norwich City forward Lewis Grabban has issued an apology after failing to show up for the club's League Cup victory at Rotherham United last month while trying to force a move to Bournemouth during the transfer window. Grabban was not at the New York Stadium for the 2-1 second-round win and although manager Alex Neil refused to say if the player had been given permission to skip the game, he confirmed that Norwich had turned down a third bid for Grabban. "I've apologised to the manager, the staff and my fellow professionals for the situation that arose two weeks ago and for not being available for the game at Rotherham," the 27-year-old Englishman told the club website (www.canaries.co.uk). "I'd like to apologise to the club and most importantly the Norwich fans for my actions. The fans who travelled to Rotherham I especially apologise to. "I've served a suspension and been fined, which I fully accept. Now I'm just determined to train hard and to let my football do the talking -- and to do everything I can to help Norwich City do well." Grabban scored 12 goals in 36 appearances for the club last season and played a pivotal role as the Canaries were promoted to the Premier League. Norwich, who are currently 14th in the league table, host Bournemouth on Saturday, in what could be a feisty affair between the two promoted clubs. (Reporting by Shravanth Vijayakumar in Bengaluru; editing by Sudipto Ganugly)