Stephen McPhail arrived from Leeds United on a free transfer in a blaze of expectation and euphoria in the summer of 2004 as the main star in Paul Hart and Peter Ridsdale vision to blitz Barnsley back into the Championship.
Unfortunately though, just like his Barnsley career, it never happened.
Injury, poor form and a resistance to “get stuck in” blighted his first season at the club. Ridsdale left at Christmas, Hart in March. Of the golden trio only McPhail remained.
It now seems the only reason he didn't leave the club last summer was because his poor performances meant that nobody above League One showed any interest.
This season has been a slightly different story.
Fairly indifferent at the start of the season he resembled something of the player that Paul Hart thought he was signing at the beginning of 2006 and after the departure of fellow ex Leeds colleague Jacob Burns he played a pivotal role in taking Barnsley into the Play-Offs. He claimed though that he needed to be playing at a higher level and though Barnsley duly obliged by winning the Play-Offs he then spouted about the club needing to show ambition.
Interest from Cardiff City and Peter Ridsdale (he must have enjoyed his day out there on 27th May) so him duly jump ship.
Most Barnsley fans will be shouting good riddance rather than shedding a tear today and we shall all look on with great eagerness on how he copes with being merely a supporting player than the key link.
Don't expect a warm reception when you return to Oakwell though Steve.
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