Birthplace: Enniskillen, Co.Fermanagh

Honours: Northern Ireland U17, U20 & full

The 2007/08 campaign saw Lafferty make further inroads, leading to several rejected bids from suitors in the summer of 2008 before Burnley finally agred a fee of £3m plus add-ons from Rangers in June.

Kyle had come to the attention of other clubs with a series of consistent performances for both club and country.

His versatility ensured he was a regular name on the Clarets team sheet, often appearing in an advanced role on the left-hand side of midfield.

However despite playing more games Lafferty took this in his stride and the Northern Ireland international also played a key part in his country's Euro 2008 qualifiying campaign.

Kyle enjoyed a whirlwind start to his professional career. Since being fast-tracked as an apprentice into the first team squad during the 2005/06 pre-season campaign, his has been an incredible tale of constant highs.

He soon signed his first professional contract - a deal which tied him at Turf Moor until the summer of 2009. (In March 2007, he then penned a one-year extension to this contract, commiting his future to the Clarets until 2010).

His first year as a professional ended with a sensational call up to the full Northern Ireland squad for their summer tour of the USA. His second saw him become fully established in the Irish team as regular strike partner for David Healy.

And as he continued his education, four goals domestically, including a December 2006 brace against Sunderland, reresented a healthy total for a young man being carefully nurtured.

The club certainly had to remain protective as enquiries from Celtic, during the 2006/07 season, and Wolves and Fulham during the 2007/08 close season were both swiftly rebuffed.

Burnley also rejected a bid of around £3m from Fulham on transfer deadline day in August 2007.

A regular in the junior Northern Ireland teams, Kyle first arrived at Turf Moor in 2004 as a first year apprentice and quickly made an impression in both the youth and reserve teams.

Then manager Steve Cotterill spotted his raw potential and, along with fellow apprentice Chris McCann, he joined the first team's trip to Austria before getting his first taste of competitive Championship football on the opening day of the 2005/06 season when he was brought on as a substitute against Crewe Alexandra for his League debut.

A loan spell at Darlington was then agreed to give the youngster more experience and he responded with three goals in nine appearances before returning to Turf Moor and scoring his first senior goal for the Clarets in the final day 1-1 draw with Luton Town.

Lafferty then capped a remarkable 12 months by earning his first full international cap as a late substitute for Northern Ireland against Uruguay in New York in May, 2006.