Birthplace: Tunstall

Burnley Football Club completed the £1m-plus signing of Scunthorpe United striker Martin Paterson in June 2008.

The Northern Ireland international signed a four-year deal at Turf Moor.

The pacy striker played a crucial role in the Clarets 2008/09 promotion winning and cup campaigns, making 53 appearances, scoring an impressive 19 goals.

A debut goal against Sheffield Wednesday on the opening day of the season showed signs of what was to come, and braces in the Carling Cup against Bury and Oldham meant he had five goals in five games.

The goals continued to flourish and his headed goal against Sheffield United in April 2009 pushed Burnley to within touching distance of the play-offs.

And Paterson saved his best 'til last down at the Madejski Stadium in the play-off semi-final second leg, when he cut inside onto his left-foot before unleashing an unstoppable 30-yard strike past the flailing Marcus Hahnemann.

Paterson began his career at Stoke City, making a handful of appearances before furthering his career on loan at Grimsby during the 2006/07 season.

Four goals in his first three outings showed the young striker had bags of endeavour and potential, culminating in an unexpected call-up to the Northern Ireland U21 squad during a successful loan spell.

In the summer of 2007, Paterson was signed by Scunthorpe United as a replacement for Billy Sharp - and duly scored on his full début for Scunthorpe in the League Cup.

Paterson followed that with a goal on his home Championship debut against Burnley and went on to make it four goals in four games with strikes against Bristol City and Sheffield United.

A memorable debut campaign in the second tier of English football was capped when Paterson earned a debut call up to the full Northern Ireland squad in November, when he made a second half appearance as a substitute against Spain in the European qualifying campaign.

Paterson earned a further call up for the February 2008 friendly against Bulgaria, when he replaced former Clarets striker Kyle Lafferty as a second half substitute.

A total of 14 goals in his first season at Glanford Park escalated his profile before Burnley swooped to effectively break their record transfer fee in a deal that could reach £1.3m.

Paterson started his debut Barclays Premier League season well, but an unfortunate knee injury and subsequent surgery to a torn cartilage suffered at Barnsley in September sidelined the striker until December 2009 at the earliest.

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