Jay McEveley came through the Academy ranks at Blackburn Rovers before joining Derby during the January 2007 transfer window for £600,000 plus add-ons.

He first broke through to the senior team at the age of 17 before suffering a serious knee injury that slowed his progression.

Before joining Derby, McEveley had previously been out on loan at Burnley, Gillingham and Ipswich Town.

Though born in Liverpool and an England U21 international, McEveley qualifies to play for Scotland due to his Dumfries-born grandfather.

He has chosen to pursue an international career with Scotland and was a member of their B squad, before making the full squad for the first time at the end of May 2007.

McEveley's Scotland debut came in August 2007 when he impressed at left-back during a 1-0 win against South Africa.

His first goal in a Derby shirt arrived on Boxing Day when he equalised midway through the second half of the game against Liverpool - his first-ever in the Premier League, and not a bad moment for a lifelong Evertonian.

But in the first game of 2008, away at Bolton Wanderers, he suffered a knee ligament injury that kept him on the sidelines until February 23's defeat away to Wigan Athletic.

McEveley registered his second goal of the season in the penultimate home game of the campaign, the defeat to Arsenal at the end of April.

LAST UPDATED: April 29 2008.

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