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Date and Place of Birth 6th December 1977 - BELFAST
Transfers to and from Burnley from Norwich City - 22nd March 2007 (loan) returned - 7th May 2007
First and Last Burnley Games LUTON TOWN (h) - 31st March 2007
COVENTRY CITY (h) - 6th May 2007 sub: replaced Ade Akinbiyi
Other Clubs TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR, NORWICH CITY ---------------------------------------- LUTON TOWN, NORWICH CITY |
Burnley Career Stats
| Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Others | Total | |||||
| apps | gls | apps | gls | apps | gls | apps | gls | apps | gls | |
| 2006/07 | 6(2) | 3 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 6(2) | 3 |
| Total | 6(2) | 3 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 6(2) | 3 |
Profile by Tony Scholes
We were in something of a crisis when Paul McVeigh arrived on loan from Norwich City. The 2006/07 season was in free fall and McVeigh, following on from Sheffield Wednesday's Graham Coughlan, was the second loan signing on the deadline day in March.
Northern Ireland international McVeigh had been with Norwich for just over seven years, having been signed from Spurs in March 2000 by the new manager at Carrow Road Bryan Hamilton. For much of his time there he was one of the most popular players with the home crowd but he'd had differences with Nigel Worthington that saw him lose his place in the side. He wasn't even in the sixteen when we won at Norwich in what proved to be Worthington's last game in charge.
When Peter Grant became the new manager McVeigh was immediately restored to the first team, but in his first home appearance back in the side he was sent off against Cardiff. He was in and out of the side from then and at the time we moved for him he hadn't started a game for over two months.
That led to Grant allowing the move to Burnley to give him some much needed games, and his debut coincided with one of our worst performances of the season against strugglers Luton Town. He replaced Wade Elliott on the right hand side of midfield and played virtually the whole of the game as we failed to take advantage of probably the worst side in the league.
That's when it all changed. For the next game he was moved up front alongside Andy Gray, with Ade Akinbiyi dropping onto the bench, and our form and results took a dramatic turn for the better. He scored the second as we beat Plymouth 4-0, and after playing well in the next win at Birmingham he was on the scoresheet again as we beat Cardiff 2-0.
The Cardiff goal was potentially one of the goals of the season as he finally converted an Elliott cross at the near post after a superb team move that involved almost every outfield player. He lost his place in the side, only because the opponents were Norwich, and for the last few games, with our place in the division safe, he alternated with Akinbiyi in playing alongside Gray. He was on the bench for the last game of the season but came on as a substitute to score his third for us, and our last goal of the 2006/07 season in the 2-1 home defeat against Coventry.
At that time I'm sure many Burnley fans would have been pleased to see his sign him on a permanent basis when Norwich released him. However, his name was never seriously mentioned as a likely target over the summer and I'm sure there were no disappointments when we brought back Robbie Blake instead.
Steve Cotterill had intimated that McVeigh could be set for a move outside of England, although Charlton had been linked with him. In the end neither of them happened and he became one of Kevin Blackwell's summer signings at Luton.
Luton had just been relegated when he signed for them and in two years at Kenilworth Road he witnessed two more relegations that saw them leave the Football League after starting the season with a thirty point penalty. Following relegation McVeigh was released by manager Mick Harford.
He spent the pre-season back at his old club Norwich City but it was initially just an opportunity for him to get some fitness as he looked for a new club. However, he did well and played in pre-season games and on 23rd July 2009 agreed a one year deal with the Carrow Road club.
Links
More former Clarets move on (30/05/09)