Pacy Irish midfielder Alan O'Brien signed a two-year contract at The County Ground in July 2009.

The 25-year old winger joined Town from Scottish Premier League side Hibernian and also has five caps for the Republic of Ireland to his name.

He joined Newcastle United from St Joseph's Boys club in Ireland and progressed through the youth ranks at St. James' Park.

He won the Under 17's title with the Magpies, defeating Manchester United 5-2 in the final over two legs.

His impressive performances in the youth team were enough to secure a regular run in the Newcastle reserve team during the 2003/04 season, before a broken leg in July 2004 stalled his progress.

A determined attitude during his recovery saw O'Brien return to action the following season where he earned a place in the first team squad before being loaned out to Carlisle United in October 2005.

He scored within 10 minutes of his debut for The Cumbrians and featured in five games at Brunton Park.

O'Brien was handed his debut for Newcastle United in an FA Cup tie against Peter Shirtliff's Mansfield Town in January 2006. A full Premier League appearance soon followed, two weeks later when he played 90 minutes against West Ham United.

The winger then moved to Hibernian followed in the summer of 2007, signing a three-year contract with the Scottish Premier League side and making a total of 47 league appearances.

His first season in a Town shirt was a frustrating one however, starting as he did just four games for Danny Wilson's side.

A recurrent hamstring problem put paid to any hopes of a prolonged run in the first team, but O'Brien believes he has got to the bottom of the issue, and will be determined to make an impact during the remainder of his time at The County Ground.