 He broke into the first team on a regular basis in the 2003–04 and 2004–05 seasons, when he made over 50 appearances despite missing several months of the 2004–05 season due to a foot injury suffered in October 2004.McPhee joined Conference National side Aldershot Town on loan in August 2005, where he made 14 appearances.He returned to Brighton in November 2005 but struggled to break into the first team and made only seven appearances before joining Swindon Town in March 2006 on loan until the end of the 2005–06 season.