 He made a further seven First Division appearances in the 2001–02 under the stewardship of Paul Hart.He played 13 games in the 2002–03 campaign, scoring his first goal in senior football on 4 May, in a 2–2 draw with Rotherham United at Millmoor.However, he made only four appearances in the 2003–04 campaign, and dropped out of the first team picture under new manager Joe Kinnear.