BORN in Truro, hardly a hotbed of football, Wayne Quinn joined Sheffield United as a trainee in 1994. He made quite an impression as a left-back or left-sided midfield player, so much so that he won a couple of England Under-21 caps.

BORN in Truro, hardly a hotbed of football, Wayne Quinn joined Sheffield United as a trainee in 1994. He made quite an impression as a left-back or left-sided midfield player, so much so that he won a couple of England Under-21 caps. With 167 first-team appearances for the Blades behind him he joined Newcastle United for £750,000 in January 2001 hoping to establish himself in the Premiership under Bobby Robson.

It all backfired. Before the start of last season he appeared in the Intertoto Cup, missed out on the opening of the Premiership season, but played in the Worthington Cup against Brentford when he suffered a groin strain. Then he tore a muscle in his thigh and, when he recovered full match fitness, other players had overtaken him.

At the age of 26 he should be at the peak of his career so he was delighted when invited to return to Sheffield United on a one-month loan. This was just at a time when the Blades were grabbing the headlines and appearing on television four times in a fortnight after virtually a year on the sidelines at St James' Park.

Quinn had played just one minute of first-team football in 11 and a half months. That solitary appearance was as an 89th-minute substitute for Olivier Bernard in a Champions' League qualifying tie against Yugoslav side Zeljeznicar in mid-August.

Either side of that, Quinn has been left out of the Magpies picture by Sir Bobby Robson, so understandably he jumped at the chance to play again for United. Blades' boss Neil Warnock cannot afford to make the move permanent.

“I've been looking to get away and this is my chance now, to put myself in the shop window and do well for Sheffield United and myself,” said Quinn, who has been operating at left-back since Fulham refused to allow Jon Harley to stay for a third month on loan.

“Obviously I'm disappointed with the way things have gone at Newcastle. It's not happened for me there and that's fine. I accept that.

“It was a good move at the time but I've never really been given an answer as to why I've not been involved. I spoke to the manager. We had a talk but I couldn't really go in shouting and bawling because the team were doing so well.

“It wasn't my place to go in and say this, that and whatever. I just went in and sat there, bit my tongue and just got on with what I could by training as hard as I could.

“I might not have been playing but I've always been learning my trade. When you work with the likes of Alan Shearer day in, day out you become a better player.”

Quinn concedes to having his pick of clubs to join on loan, but when he learned of United's interest, according to Warnock he apparently pleaded with the Blades boss to sort out a deal.

“Wayne may be at a standard that's not good enough for Newcastle's first team, which is unfortunate, but that's life,” said Warnock. “But he has a lot of ability. Not only will he not let me down but you will see the real Wayne Quinn. Maybe not immediately but certainly within the next three or four weeks.”