One to Watch – Jackson Irvine

Name: Jackson Irvine
Date of Birth: 07/03/1993
Previous clubs: Celtic, Kilmarnock (L), Ross County (L), Ross County
Apps (goals): 115 (10)

Having broken their transfer record to sign defender Kyle McFadzean from MK Dons in the summer, Burton surpassed that outlay a matter of days later as they secured the services of Australian midfielder Jackson Irvine from Scottish Premier League side Ross County, for a fee reported to have been in the region of £250,000.

At the age of 16, Irvine left his hometown Melbourne to sign for Celtic in 2010, where he remained for five years, but would feature just once for the first team, coming on just after the break to replace Victor Wanyama in a 2-2 draw at home to Hibernian in September 2012, with his final two years at the club spent out on loan.

His breakthrough year in Scotland came during the 2012/2013 campaign as he joined fellow Scottish Premier League side Kilmarnock for the season, going on to score one goal in 29 appearances in all competitions for the club, with his first strike in professional football coming in a 2-0 win over future employers Ross County.

Following his return to Celtic, Irvine was loaned out again ahead of the new season, joining up with the Staggies, also in the top-flight, and shortly after, he was named in the Australian squad for two friendlies, watching on the bench against France, before playing the final few minutes in a 3-0 win over Canada in October 2013.

Two goals in 30 appearances for Ross County convinced the club to sign him on a permanent basis from Celtic on a two-year deal, with whom he would help win the Scottish League Cup last season having established himself as a key first team player, playing 45 matches and bagging three goals, which brought on to the radar of Nigel Clough.

The Brewers boss saw a number of bids for the central midfielder knocked back in the summer as he looked to add quality to his squad ahead of the club`s first ever season in the second-tier of English football after promotion from League One last term, before eventually meeting the player`s valuation to sign him on a three-year deal.

He impressed immediately from the centre of the park on his first outing for his new club, as Clough`s men ran out 3-0 winners at home to Stoke City in a friendly match shortly after the Australian had put pen to paper, and he has already proved himself to be an important figure in the Brewers side, netting four league goals in eight games.

Two of those goals secured all three points for Burton, the second of which came in a 1-0 win against local rivals Derby County infront of the television cameras, a header that was voted by the club`s supporters as goal of the month for August, who have immediately taken to the player thanks to his energetic displays.