|
He has since signed a longer term deal at the Turf after impressing in the early games but picked up a bad injury the day after he signed the new contract and needed an operation. Injuries though have played a major part in his career.
The 27 year-old Dubliner made his debut for his first club Middlesbrough in a 2-1 home defeat against Everton in April 1993 coming on as a substitute for Craig Hignett. He made one other substitute appearance that season as they were relegated from the Premiership in its inaugural season.
At just 18 he became a regular from the very start of the next season and made his debut on the opening day in a 3-2 win at Notts County scoring two of the goals. He missed just two games that season and scored 10 league goals.
Injuries restricted his appearances and by the end of the 1995/96 season he had played most of his 118 league games for Middlesbrough. There were just four Division One appearances in 1997/98 and after winning promotion again he played just four Premiership games in 1998/99 season but also appeared five times for Barnsley in a loan spell.
Things got no better and he didn't play a single first team game in either the 1999/2000 or 2000/01 seasons. In fact when he came on as a sub for Burnley back in August it was his first appearance for a first team since February 1999 when he played for Middlesbrough in a 0-0 draw at home to Spurs.
This season is his best in terms of appearances since Middlesbrough's 1994/95 promotion season. He has been in and out of the side at Burnley recently but his appearance at Bramall Lane yesterday finally took him to the 150 total.